
ATHLETIC 


LI B R ARY 


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!• 














































JAMES S. MITCHEL. 


Photo by Steinberg, 



J U L 



Spalding “Red Cover” Series of 
Athletic Handbooks 
No. 70R. 



HOW TO BECOME A 

WEIGHT 

THROWER 


BY 

JAMES S. MITGHEL 


With a Chapter on Throwing the 
Javelin 



published by 


AMERICAN SPORTS PUBLISHING 
COMPANY 

21 Warren Street, New York 





















Copyright, 1916 

BY 

American Sports Publishing Company 
New York 



NOV 13 1316 


©CU446329 

l . 


Contents 

PAGE 

Publishers’ Notice. 5 

James S. Mitchel .7 

Origin of Weight Throwing.44 

Development in the Weights and Discus . . 15 

Throwing the Hammer.31 

Training for the Hammer ..41 

Putting the Shot.45 

Training for Shot Putting.53 

The 56 -Pound Weight.57 

Training for the “ 56 ” . . . . 3 . # . 65 

The Discus.69 

Weight Throwing for Boys.75 

Throwing the Javelin.79 































Spalding's athletic library. 


5 


Publishers’ Notice 

Attention is especially called to the chapter— 
which has never been published heretofore—on 
the development of the various implements, from 
the crude stage of their early and useful origin 
to the scientific missiles which, at least in the 
case of the “hammer,” retain their original nomen¬ 
clature through courtesy and not by any resem¬ 
blance to the tools to which they are indebted for 
their name. Probably there is no other person in 
the world to-day who has delved so thoroughly 
into the early history of hammer throwing than 
Mr. Mitchel, or has had the good fortune to have 
been not only a competitor in many of the suc¬ 
cessive stages of the development of the pastime, 
but in addition, has been able to glean at first 
hand, in the home of its origin—Ireland, England 
and Scotland—this information, which will be of 
interest not only to the followers of his favorite 
sport, but invaluable as data to the future his¬ 
torian of athletics. 

AMERICAN SPORTS PUBLISHING CO. 


I 


spalding's athletic libraby. 


7 


James S. Mitchel 

The following tribute to the author was written 
by the late James E. Sullivan for an earlier edi¬ 
tion of this volume. Mr. Sullivan, who was the fore¬ 
most authority on athletic matters for many years 
previous to his death, in 1914, repeatedly ex¬ 
pressed his admiration for Mr. Mitchel’s ability, 
not only as an athlete but as a student of athletic 
sport in general. Mr. Sullivan wrote: 

“James S. Mitchel is, without question, a most notable 
man in athletics. He has had a long and active career 

an honorable career—and was in competition longer 
than any other man in America and won more champion¬ 
ships than any other athlete. 

“To give in detail Champion Mitchel’s entire athletic 
career would require a very large volume. He began 
in athletics as a sprint runner, and was recognized as 
a very good one. At various times he competed in other 
events, such as jumping, hurdle racing, etc., and finally 
began to specialize in weight throwing. His record 
proves how well he mastered the art. Mr. William B. 
Curtis, the “Father of American Amateur Athletics,’’ re¬ 
marked to the writer in 1891, on Manhattan Field, New 
York, that James S. Mitchel was the most remarkable 
weight thrower he ever ‘clapped eyes on,’ from the fact 
that he threw the hammer 145 feet from a seven-foot 
circle, and in that particular performance used but about 
one-half of the circle. 

“At times Mr. Mitchel was prominent at shot putting. 
He may not have excelled at that branch as well as he did 
in hammer throwing, but was invariably around the top 
rung of the ladder. He has always asserted that as a 


spalding's athletic library. 


8 

matter of fact a man who was a good weight thrower 
could not be an equally proficient shot putter, and vice- 
versa. 

“Mr. Mitchel’s researches into the history and general 
development of weight throwing have been exhaustive 
and his knowledge in regard to this branch of athletics 
is unequaled by anyone in the world. I trust that he 
will in the near future, as a matter of duty, commit to 
paper his unrivaled knowledge of everything that per¬ 
tains to weight throwing, as it would be a misfortune 
to have his years of delving into history and records 
lost forever to posterity.” 

The following is a list of the principal cham¬ 
pionships won by James S. Mitchel during his 
long and active career as a competing athlete: 

JAMES S. MITCHEL’S RECORD. 

A. A. 77. National Championships. 

Throwing 16-lb. hammer—1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 
1894, 1895, 1S96 and 1903. 

Throwing 56-lb. weight for distance—1891, 1892, 1893, 
1894, 1895, 1896, 1897, 1900, 1903 and 1905. 

Throwing 56-lb. weight for height—1893. 

A. A. 77. Indoor Championships. 

Throwing 56-lb. weight for height—1890, 1897, 1898 and 
1906. 

Putting 16-lb. shot—1897. 

Throwing the discus—1897. 

Metropolitan Association of the A. A. 77. Championships. 
Throwing 56-lb. weight—1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 
1894, 1895, 1S96, 1897 and 1902. 

Throwing 16-lb. hammer—1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 
1894, 1895 and 1896. 

Putting 16-lb. shot—1895 and 1896. 


SPALDINGS ATHLETIC LIBRARY. 


9 


IV. A. A. A. A. Championship. 

Throwing 56-lb. weight—1888. 

Canadian Championships. 

Throwing 16-lb. hammer—1890, 1892, 1894, 1S95, 1896 
and 1903. 

Throwing 56-lb. weight—1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1S94 and 
1895. 

Putting 16-lb. shot—1892. 

Throwing the discus—1903. 

English Championships. 

Throwing 16-lb. hammer—1886, 1887 and 1888. 

Putting 16-lb. shot—1886 and 1887. 

Irish Championships, Gaelic A. A. 

Throwing 16-lb. hammer—1885, 1886, 1887 and 1888. 
Throwing 56-lb. weight—1885, 1886, 1887 and 1888. 
Putting 16-lb. shot—18S6, 1887 and 1888. 

Throwing 7-lb. weight—1886, 1887 and 1888. 

Putting 28-lb. weight—1887. 

Throwing 14-lb. weight—1888. 

Irish A. A. A. Championship. 

Putting 16-lb. shot—1887. 

Many of the present day ideas in the hammer 
and shot were modeled from suggestions advanced 
and tried out by Mr. Mitchel, and to his study 
of the weights and his remarkable athletic career 
is undoubtedly due the interest in this branch of 
track and field events in America. 

Besides attending all the principal athletic 
meetings of the last quarter of a century, Mr. 


10 SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. 

Mitchel was also present as a member of the 
American team which swept all before it at Athens 
in the Olympic Games of 1906 and acted as special 
correspondent for the New York Herald at Stock¬ 
holm in 1912, on the occasion of the last Olympic 
Games, where his advice was eagerly sought by 
not only the competitors but also high athletic 
authorities of European nations, who were then 
contemplating the establishment of athletic train¬ 
ing under the patronage of their respective gov¬ 
ernments. 





PAT RYAN. 

First position in hammer. Showing correct method of holding the hands. 
















PAT RYAN. 


Start of the 


first turn in 


the hammer. 


\ 













PAT RYAN. 


Position of body after first turn. 








PAT RYAN. 

Spinning on liis left foot for the second turn of the hammer. 












Landing on second turn. 




















































































































PAT RYAN. 

In full swing on last turn. 


« 






















































PAT RYAN. 

Delivery of hammer after three turns, 










INTERNATIONAL HAMMER USED BEFORE ADVENT OF WIRE HANDLE. 

This style was used by James S. Mitehel in the international New York A.C.- 
London A.C. games at New York in 1895. The athlete in the picture is 
Simon Gillis of the New York A.C. 



spalding's athletic library 


11 


Origin of Weight Throwing 

It is now impossible to accurately ascertain at 
what particular period men began to throw 
weights in a competitive form. Probably the first 
contests occurred when the rude inhabitants of 
the primeval forests sallied forth with a sling- 
stone to chase the wild boar. No doubt, in due 
course, when the ancient hunters tired of the 
novelty of the chase, they would engage each other 
in a test to learn who could pitch his sling the 
furthest. But, whether or not this supposition 
is correct, it is certain that games of stone put- 
javelin throwing, hammer and discus throw¬ 
ing are very old forms of athletic sport, and date 
back centuries anterior to the Christian era. 

The first authentic mention of stone putting and 
hammer throwing appears in the “Book of Lein¬ 
ster” in connection with the Tailtin games, in¬ 
augurated in Ireland A. M. 3370, or exactly 1,829 
years before the birth of Christ. 

As these games were instituted 600 years prior 
to the first Olympiad, the Greeks are therefore 
indebted to the early Irish for the idea of the 
Hellenic carnival. In the Tailtin programme 
throwing the hammer was termed the roth cleas, 
which means wheel feat, and the first great cham¬ 
pion was Cuhullian, who excelled all the men of 
his time, A. M. 5099; and, fortunately, perhaps, 


12 spalding's athletic library. 

for the self-esteem of his latest emulators, the 
exact records of this antique celebrity remain in 
oblivion. Putting the stone, the parent of all 
forms of shot putting, was a popular event of the 
ancient programme, and through centuries of tur¬ 
moil and strife remained a favorite pastime of the 
Celt. Scotland, too, has been a prolific nursery 
for noted stone putters, and there is perhaps no 
more charming stanza in Scott’s idyllic poem, 
“The Lady of the Lake,” than where the giant 

“Douglas rent an earth-fast stone 
From its deep bed, then heaved it high, 

And sent the fragment through the sky, 

A rood beyond the farthest mark;— 

And still in Stirling’s royal park, 

The grey-haired sires who knew the past, 

To strangers point the Douglas-cast, 

And moralize on the decay 
Of Scottish strength in modern day.” 

However, a time came when men began to es¬ 
chew the granite offspring snatched from the rug¬ 
ged bosom of nature for the metal sphere now 
generally in use. This permanent adoption of 
the shot was suggested by its popularity as a 
missile at the games of the various military organ¬ 
izations which had always access to a recherche 
assortment of cannon balls and shells, admirably 
adapted for the purpose, and the boorish boulder 
was thenceforth relegated to the placid though 
slightly sedentary occupation of gathering moss. 

During the transition period the weight of the 


spalding's athletic library. 13 

shot was regulated to suit the versatile fancies of 
the different games committees, but the necessity 
of more uniformity was making itself felt in 
proper quarters, for in the annual “College Races” 
of Dublin University, in 1860, an iron 16-pound 
shot was used. Sometimes the 16-pound shot has 
been termed a weight, for the reason that in the 
old table of weights and measures 16 pounds was 
classed a “weight/’ and 14 pounds a “stone,” while 
the “56” had its origin from being a fraction— 
one-fortieth—of the “long ton” of 2240 pounds. In 
the Oxford and Cambridge and English champion¬ 
ship programmes of 1866 the iron shot was used 
for the first time. When the New York Athletic 
Club was founded, in 1868, by the late William B. 
Curtis and a few of his associates, almost the first 
items purchased were an iron shot, hammer and 
a square iron 56-pound weight, with a round ring; 
and pictures of these curios are to be seen among 
the early pictures of “Winged Foot” athletics. 
Originally the 56-pound weight was pushed from 
the shoulder, but in time men became dissatisfied 
with small throws and they began to swing it with 
a ring or hook and longer throws as the result. 

From being swung between the legs the style 
was changed to a swing around, with unlimited 
run and follow, and seemingly phenomenal dis¬ 
tances were made. Then the two-hand throwing 
from the seven-foot circle was introduced, and the 
latest innovation is a double turn, which is bound 


14 spalding's athletic library. 

to remain the desideratum of prospective cham¬ 
pions for future time. 

The hammer underwent some transformation, 
too, from the old iron head with stiff spade-tree 
handle to the lead head with piano wire handle 
and a loop at the extreme end for the hands. 

Discus throwing was introduced in America in 
1896, and is a typical Grecian sport. Throw¬ 
ing the javelin, which first received international 
recognition at the Olympic Games at Athens in 
1906, was a showy and important event at 
the Olympiads at London in 1908 and Stockholm 
in 1912, has become a fixed competition in the 
Olympic programme and with the discus is listed 
in all the important championship events in 
America. 

The object of this little volume is to give be¬ 
ginners some advice on their primary efforts when 
a professional or experienced coach is not avail¬ 
able. The suggestions offered could doubtless be 
clothed in a more copious style and with more 
grandiloquent detail, but in treating the rudi¬ 
ments of any particular sport it is advisable that 
the treatise be plain and therefore the instruc¬ 
tions have been made as concise as possible with¬ 
out, however, sacrificing information to brevity. 
The briefer the admonition the more easy will it 
be to memorize the vital points. 


spalding's athletic library. 


15 


Development in the Weights and 
Discus 

Tlie shot, hammer, 56-pound weight and discus 
have undergone such change from time to time 
that it is a rather onerous task to unravel the long 
skein of variations that have occurred both in the 
implements and throwing rules. Of course, this 
is not to be wondered at when it is remembered 
that the varied forms of indulgence cover hun¬ 
dreds of years, especially in connection with the 
shot, discus, javelin and hammer. Stone putting 
is the parent of the shot and chariot-wheel twist¬ 
ing is the ancestor of the hammer, and while the 
discus itself is much the same, throwing rules are 
entirely different. Today the discus is made of 
wood shod with iron, while in the olden times 
it was made of either bronze or copper or iron. 
The writer once had the pleasure of seeing the 
most ancient specimen of the discus extant, and 
it is a pity that the one of the present day is not 
modeled after it. The specimen is in the museum 
at Munich and the foremost antiquarians agree 
that it is two thousand years old. It is made of 
bronze, is about eight inches in diameter, and 
weighs just a trifle under four pounds. It was 
found while excavations were being made at 
,#Cgina. 

The hammer may be said to have emerged from 


16 spalding's athletic library. 

its rude state when the use of iron became popular. 
Then in the old world the forges sprang up 
through the rural districts, and heavy hammers 
were indispensable for the working of iron. Noth¬ 
ing was more convenient than to send to the 
forge for a big striking sledge when two men 
challenged each other for an impromptu contest. 
In the very early athletic games a blacksmiths 
sledge was used, and even in the reports of ath¬ 
letic meetings of forty years ago the event was 
styled “throwing the sledge” and not the ham¬ 
mer. 

The elongated shape of the old sledge caused 
the handle to break so often that those who fol¬ 
lowed the sport began to look around for a substi¬ 
tute which would land with less jar on the 
ground. Rumination on the subject was bound 
to produce some good fruit, and in due course a 
“turned” hammer of wrought iron made its ap¬ 
pearance. The length of the handle was then 
what was known as “hip high,” or 3 feet 6 inches. 
The old drawing of a Highland gathering made 
fifty years ago represents the hammer with its 
3 feet 6 inches handle. 

Not alone was the hammer itself peculiar, but 
a still stranger rule of throwing was prevalent. 
One of the opponents crossed two hammers and 
the man throwing had to keep the left foot inside 
those, while he hurtled the hammer away. This 
was the origin of throwing from a stand, a style 


Spalding’s athletic library. 17 

which was afterward modified so that the ath¬ 
lete could stand behind a scratch line. 

Meantime, in other parts of the world, such as 
England and Ireland, the devotees of the sport 
were throwing in the old style, that is, the “figure 
eight,” with one hand. In manipulating this 
method the thrower stood at the mark and wound 
the hammer in front and behind until he felt 
that he had gathered force enough, when with 
a bound he swung clean around and let + he ham¬ 
mer fly. 

Crude as the plan might appear, some very nne 
throws were accomplished, and marks are still 
pointed out which make some of the modern giants 
gasp in awe. One of the most noteworthy is said 
to have taken place at the castle of Oola, County 
Limerick, Ireland, where a gigantic priest named 
Eliv Hanley engaged in a special match with an 
army officer stationed at Limerick. The conditions 
called for the highest throw against the walls of 
the tower, which is about 100 feet high. Not only 
did the cleric win, but he threw the hammer 
clean over the tower, and it has not been seen 
since. Superstitious residents of the district have 
it that the hammer sailed clean into the clouds, 
but the more practical accept the theory that 
when the hammer fell on the soft boggy ground 
it easily sank below the surface. That the rev¬ 
erend athlete was a man of tremendous power 
there is no doubt, for the gossips have it that 


18 spalding’s athletic library. 

when he swung round in the throw, he wrenched 
off the heels of a new pair of shoes he wore. 

The next step toward advancement was the 
introduction of throwing with unlimited run and 
follow, and immediately a number showed pro¬ 
ficiency by making two, three and four turns, 
and what might be termed respectable perform¬ 
ances nowadays were recorded. Nobody then 
thought of whirling the hammer around his head 
before executing the body spin, although that 
style had been introduced in 1867 or thereabout 
by Donald Dinnie, the Scotch professional. The 
amateurs contented themselves with holding the 
hammer out at arm’s length, letting it drop down 
behind, after which they began to spin around. 
Soon afterward, however, and one by one, they 
began to wind the missile over the head, and at 
once the improvement in distance was noticeable. 

One of the first to show his appreciation of the 
innovation was C. H. Hales of Cambridge Uni¬ 
versity, who, in 1874, threw the 16-pound ham¬ 
mer, with a handle considerably more than four 
feet, a distance of 138 feet 4 inches. Hales 
turned four times when he made the record, but 
to spin that number of times was only mere boy’s 
play, for it is said that he could make six turns 
as easily as four. 

No very strict rules were enforced as yet as 
to the length of the hammer, as is evident from the 
fact that one of the competitors in the interna- 


19 


Spalding’s athletic library. 

tional match between England and Ireland crossed 
the channel with a hammer the handle of which 
measured six feet in length, and the spectators 
were treated to a real novelty, for a trench had 
to be dug in front of the thrower so that he could 
swing the hammer without striking the ground. 
The extra leverage availed him but little, for 
Maurice Davin, the Irish champion, sawed off 
2 feet 6 inches from the Englishman’s hammer 
and beat him easily. It is worth while to men¬ 
tion here that this international meet was the first 
of its kind in the history of athletics, and took 
place at Lansdowne Koad, Dublin, in 1876, and it 
is not amiss to give a few words here about Maur¬ 
ice Davin, who, at the time that this book was 
written, was still alive and hearty, at the age of 
seventy-three. 

Mr. Davin was regarded as one of the most 
scientific performers of his time. He threw with 
one hand, and in 1880 sent the 3-foot-6 hammer 
with the old stick handle and iron head the re¬ 
markable distance of 131 feet. Using the same 
kind of a hammer, he did 110 feet from the 7-foot 
circle, and the mark was then the world’s record. 
When Mr. Davin made this record he made two 
turns in the circle, and this was the initial at¬ 
tempt at double spinning inside the 7-foot en¬ 
closure. 

Throwing with unlimited run and follow con¬ 
tinued both in England and Ireland until 1876, 


20 spalding’s athletic library. 

when the 7-foot circle was officially adopted in 
England, and it continued to 1887, when the circle 
was enlarged to 9 feet. Another change came 
with the Fourth Olympiad, held at London in 
1908, when the Englishmen went back to the 7-foot 
ring again. Previous to 1896 only the wooden 
handle and iron head was tolerated, but after 
that there were leaden heads and subsequently 
the American loops of all sorts. That the Eng¬ 
lishmen are sticklers for their rules and customs 
is shown in the photo of Simon P. Gillis, holding 
the old-style hammer. This was the identical 
implement used in the international match be¬ 
tween the New York A. C. and the London A. G. 
in 1895 and consisted of a wooden handle and 
iron head. 

In 1885 Dr. W. J. M. Barry, of the Queens 
College, Cork, introduced the first radical de¬ 
parture from the wooden handle by substituting 
a Malacca cane shaft. It was a capital arrange¬ 
ment, but as the “canes” broke easily, the expense 
prevented their universal popularity. Dr. Barry 
won American, English, Irish and Canadian 
championships. 

At the dawn of amateur athletics in America, 
in 1868, those who had the task of formulating 
the hammer rules followed the lead of the Cale¬ 
donians by throwing a stiff-handled hammer from 
stand, and it remained unaltered until 1888. For 
a number of years the late “Father Bill” Curtis, 


21 


Spalding’s athletic library. 

the first American amateur champion with the 
hammer, kept a 21-pound hammer with a stiff 
wooden handle in his office. He said one day in 
answer to a query that it was a “souvenir” of 
the past. The leaden head made its appearance 
early in the ’80s and with it came all sorts of 
springy handles to the limit of which the rules 
would admit. Naturally enough, the hard ground 
played havoc with the frail wood handles and 
athletes were at their wits’ end to find some tough 
wood that would stand the wear and tear for at 
least a couple of days at a time. Every species 
of wood known to the modern turner was experi¬ 
mented with until the late Mike O’Sullivan of 
New York, the all-around champion of 1892, hit 
upon a novel idea. He visited Van Cortlandt 
Park one day and gathered a bundle of grape¬ 
vines, which he converted into handles, and they 
answered the purpose so well that they were in 
vogue until the writer introduced the steel wire 
with a wooden loop at the end in 1892. The grape¬ 
vine was a zigzag, clumsy-looking affair, yet it 
stood a surprising amount of hardship and only 
split and flittered to pieces when it got too dry 
from exposure to the sun. 

Some humorous incidents developed over the 
use of the grapevine. In competition the versa¬ 
tile Mike used only one hand, and he appeared at 
Travels Island on one occasion with a grapevine 
turned at the end like a walking stick and it 


22 spalding’s athletic library. 

had half a dozen crinkles which, when stretched 
out in the act of throwing, made the hammer look 
to be at least six feet. The late “Father Bill” 
Curtis was attracted by Mike’s hammer and, to 
satisfy himself that the rules were observed, 
measured it, and found it to be nothing over the 
regulation four feet, but he said that to look at 
it from the opposite side of the field it appeared 
to be fifteen feet when Mike was swinging around. 
“Ah, sure, Mr. Curtis, you can measure it when 
I’m throwing if you like,” answered Mike to the 
insinuation of unfairness. The invitation to put 
a tape line on a flying hammer was too much for 
the pioneer of American athletics, and he walked 
away in the direction of the running broad jump. 
Wilson L. Coudon of Elkton, Md., the national 
champion with the 56-pound weight in 1888, in¬ 
troduced the walking-stick handle, which he used 
with success for a number of years. 

A radical clause passed by the A. A. U. in the 
winter of 1S91, which rendered it possible that 
the hammer head and handle could be of any 
shape and of any material, at once gave scope for 
a string of oddly shaped handles. Mike O’Sulli¬ 
van was in evidence at once with a steel loop and a 
piece of sash-cord, and, as he usually strolled into 
the grounds dragging the hammer behind him, 
the wags after a while called it “Mike’s bulldog.” 
The writer tried a cross-bar on the wooden spool, 
but it broke so often that he laid it aside and 
went back to the old wooden spool and steel wire. 


23 


Spalding’s athletic library. 

That class of handle remained in use until 1898, 
when the bifurcated loop and piano wire attach* 
ment was evolved. 

Of course, the “Mitchel handle” was the basis of 
some chaff, but it was soon apparent to the con¬ 
testants that the leverage was increased about 
eight inches and, besides, an athlete had a fine, 
firm grip at the extreme end of the so-called han¬ 
dle. The loops have held their own to this day, 
and although the single loop with the hands 
overlapped has come along, the bifurcated loops 
still retain a number of adherents who are strong 
in the belief that they are the best ever. In con¬ 
nection with them there is one certainty, and that 
is, they are the best of all for a beginner. 

For about a dozen years, beginning with the 
advent of the present century, there was a par¬ 
tial craze among the weight men to secure the 
smallest hammer-head possible, one which would 
offer the least resistance to the atmosphere. The 
manager of one of the college track teams easily 
solved the problem as to these requirements one 
day after a visit to the United States Treasury, 
where he inquired the cost and diameter of a 
gold 16-pound hammer. The size suited him, as 
the sphere would not be much larger than a bil¬ 
liard ball, but the cost stunned him, and he walked 
away saying that he would lay the matter before 
the officials of his college who had charge of the 
finances. The Treasury Department never got the 
order for the gold hammer. 


24 spalding’s athletic library. 

The best attempt at securing the minimum 
dimensions for the 16 pounds was the invention 
of Simon P. Gillis of New York, who constructed 
a steel shell filled with mercury, and it was 
arranged with a couple of extra cells in case the 
mercury expanded with the heat. This combina¬ 
tion sphere was much smaller than the lead and 
would no doubt be in vogue more or less, but the 
rules called for a metal hammer, and as mercury 
could not be classed under that heading the Gillis 
innovation went for nought. Hammer heads made 
of block tin, bronze and other alloys were tried, 
but as they were all found to be larger than 
the lead they scarcely outlived their initial 
appearance. 

At various times some odd patterns of hammer 
handles made their appearance. A Western 
genius evolved a handle with a notch near the 
head, so constructed that when it flew away the 
handle unloosed from the notch instantly and the 
head traveled the remainder of its flight alone. 
The idea did not conform to the A. A. U. rules, 
which stipulate that the complete implement shall 
travel the entire journey. The plan of a double 
bar on the single loop found no favor among the 
experts, and neither did a large loop for the two 
hands, similar to the one used on the “56” of the 
present day. 

To Alfred Plaw of California belongs the credit 
of first throwing with the single loop and overlap- 


SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. 25 

ping the hands, and unless the International 
Federation goes back to the original hammer, the 
single loop will be the hammer of the future. 

The 56-pound weight was first included in the 
national championship programme in the United 
States in 1878, and until 1888 it was thrown from 
stand without follow. 

That cycle partly covered the period of the ex¬ 
istence of the old National A. A. A. A., and the 
longest throw on the list for twelve years was 
made by the writer after the visit of the Gaelic 
invasion team in 1888. The weight was then of 
iron, with a one-handed loop, but there was noth¬ 
ing in the rules to prevent an athlete from using 
the two hands if he so desired. Consequently the 
late A. A. Jordan, all-around champion in 1888, 
who was a close student of athletics, took advan¬ 
tage of the shortcoming, and in the special match 
he had with the late Malcolm W. Ford, startled 
the keen brigade of heavyweight men by intro¬ 
ducing a sort of bias two-handed handle and a 
leaden weight. Two new things in one day; and 
they helped him to defeat Ford in the match which 
was held at the old grounds of the Brooklyn 
Athletic Club in the fall of 1889. Without much 
delay two-handed throwing became popular and 
remained so until the autumn of 1901, when John 
Flanagan developed the two turns and an much 
the same way as it is now practiced. 

The two-handed handle met with some altera- 


26 spalding’s athletic library. 

tion. At first it was a sort of hook, but there was 
a slight deviation when, in 1891, at Travers Isl¬ 
and, Con Coughlin of the old Manhattan Athletic 
Club brought along a handle on the plan of ice 
tongs. Its chief peculiarity was a loop for each 
hand, but it was found to be too clumsy and was 
relegated to the scrap heap after a few trials. At 
the request of the late James E. Sullivan, the 
writer then, after much experimenting, designed 
the present loop with the link attachment to the 
head, and the verdict the world over is that there 
is hardly room for improvement. The weight as 
it is now was first seen in competition at the 
Olympic Games of 1904, at St. Louis. 

In the old world the competition with the “56” 
was chiefly confined to Ireland and Scotland, 
England never catering to the big weight. It 
has never been included in the Scotch champion¬ 
ship programme, but when it first received an 
official place on the Irish championship list it 
was thrown with unlimited run and follow, and, 
strangely enough, the competitors for years swung 
around backhanded. 

This style remained unaltered until 1886, when 
the writer turned right-handed to the front and 
sent the 13-inch weight 34 feet 1 inch—then a 
world’s record. The performance was noteworthy 
in another way, for the weight was swung around 
the head, it being the first exhibition of that par¬ 
ticular style. 



pat McDonald. 

Poise of body at start of shot put, holding shot in left hand, from whence it is 

passed to the right. 






pat McDonald. 

Stait of the shot put availing himself of every inch of the circle preparatory 

to putting. 





pat McDonald. 

Position of the body and legs as he jumps to center of circle. 











pat McDonald. 

Beginning of the final drive of the arm, 






pat McDonald. 

The instant just before the shot was released, showing proper elevation of 

the arm. 





pat McDonald. 

Delivery of the shot. Showing territic drive of arm and body. 




TOM KIELY, 

All-around champion of America (1904 and 1906) and Ireland, 









MATT McGRATH. 

Start of the “56.” First turn, 




Spalding’s athletic library. 27 

In the ’90s T. F. Kiely developed the double 
turn and did 38 feet 1 inch, a mark which is still 
the British record. For a while, in 1903, the 
writer practiced the double turn and succeeded 
in pitching the weight 38 feet 5 inches, which still 
holds its place as a world’s record. 

PUTTING THE SHOT. 

The modern form of putting the shot is an off- 
spring of the ancient exercise of putting the stone, 
of which there were two styles, that is, putting 
from stand and with unlimited run and follow. 
Fairs and other established festivals were the 
great occasions for the stone putting, and when 
the men took part in these contests they usually 
stripped to the waist. And there were times 
when they even rid themselves of their shoes and 
stockings in order to be lithe and active when 
throwing. In putting from stand the front mark 
was usually a piece of cord strung from two 
pegs and the run was two strides, that is, about 
seven feet. Throwing with unlimited run, the 
athlete took a run of about fifteen yards, and if 
he was a right-handed putter he put off the right 
foot and followed over the line with a drive. 

THROWING THE DISCUS. 

Archaeologists and close students of Greek an¬ 
tiquities and history agree that originally the 
discus was thrown from a stand, and that at 


28 spalding’s athletic library. 

various ages it was made of stone, wood, bronze, 
copper and iron. The sculptor Myron, who flour¬ 
ished 432 B. C., on account of being contempor¬ 
aneous with the palmy days of the Olympiads, had 
a chance to watch the discus throwers in action, 
and consequently he depicted the athlete in his 
correct poise. Quintilian, the Latin critic, gives 
unquestionable evidence of the style in which the 
discus was thrown. From the early writings the 
information is gleaned that the thrower stood in 
a space called the “balbis,” and stood with his 
right foot forward. He held the discus high above 
the head and, bending the body, brought the arm 
back and up behind until it was level with the 
head, as the left hand took a point of support at 
the knee. Then the athlete leaped forward, the 
discus arm describing a semicircle in a down¬ 
ward motion, and not a swing around the body. 

At the 1896 revival of the Olympic Games at 
Athens these conditions were not observed, but 
the competitors threw from a 7-foot square. First 
place was pluckily won by Robert Garrett of 
Princeton University, who made a sort of hop- 
skip across the seven feet and executed a half 
swing of the arm around the body, and under the 
conditions made the fine throw of 95 feet 7V 2 
inches. The Princeton man had only a few days 
to learn the game, for he never a saw a discus 
before he landed in Greece. 

The real rules were enforced in the games of 


Spalding’s athletic library. 29 

1906, but when the same style was given in the 
English Olympiad of 1908, there was no judge 
present who understood the rules and the men 
were allowed to use any arm action they pleased. 
The result caused some ill-feeling, especially 
among the Greeks, so the International Olympic 
Committee abolished throwing from stand alto¬ 
gether. 

Throwing with a turn made its debut in 1898, 
the writer having the pleasure of introducing it 
in open competition. The occasion was the na¬ 
tional indoor championships at Chicago, which 
took place in the Coliseum, and although it was 
an immense, roomy building, the writer, never¬ 
theless, was in mortal fear lest the discus should 
slip from his hand and land in the gallery. The 
throw was only about one hundred feet. The 7- 
foot square prevailed, but about a year afterward 
it was changed to the 7-foot circle. The Greek 
9-foot circle saw some use, but the International 
Amateur Athletic Federation, at its convention 
held in Lyons, France, in 1914, adopted the rule 
making the circle 8 feet 2 y 2 inches (2.5 meters) 
in diameter. This rule was subsequently adopted 
by the Amateur Athletic Union of the United 
States. 



DEVELOPMENT OF THE “WEIGHTS.** 








































Spalding's athletic library. 


31 


Throwing the Hammer 

There is no heavyweight exercise which requires 
greater activity for effective manipulation than 
throwing the hammer. To achieve anything like 
a record distance a man must not alone have 
strength and agility, but he must have a placid 
nerve, a cool head and all the confidence born of a 
conscious superiority. Of these qualities, confi¬ 
dence is the most essential, for it superinduces a 
certain rhythm of the muscular power at all times 
necessary. Of course, there is a particular knack 
which can best be explained by a skillful per¬ 
former, but in case he is not to be had the student 
of the game would perhaps do well to follow the 
routine advanced here. 

This method of throwing the missile is the one 
practiced by Pat Ryan, holder of the world’s 
record, and for speed and style he cannot be very 
well excelled. 

It may be as well to state at the beginning that 
no man ever sent the hammer as far with one 
turn as with two; that is, provided he had the 
proper plan of executing the double turn. For 
concise purpose, then, it is better to mention that 
the two turns is a method recommended to all 
beginners. Not a few have tried three turns with 
seeming success, but there is not such an advan¬ 
tage between three turns and two turns as be- 


32 spalding's athletic library. 

tween one and two; and, anyway, two turns in¬ 
side the seven-foot circle without a foul generally 
taxes the activity of the most agile. It is only 
after a man has mastered the two turns that he 
should attempt the triple turn. In that case the 
first turn should be slow, as it serves only to get 
the body in motion for the two others, which 
should be fast. In fact, after the first spin the 
athlete can drive at the other two with all his 
might. From the instant the athlete starts the 
preparatory swing there should be one thing in 
his mind and that is, there should be always 
something left for a final sweep. It is the heave 
at the finish that makes all big throws. 

The man wishing to devote his attention to the 
sport should first of all secure a serviceable ham¬ 
mer with wire handle and bifurcated loops, or the 
single loop. Ryan uses a Spalding No. 16BH 
championship hammer with ball bearing swivel. 
These loops should be of strong steel wire and 
should be of a texture that would not bend or 
sag. For extensive practice it is best to wear 
leather gloves or to wrap the loops with some 
soft substance, which will prevent their cutting 
into the fingers. After a while, when the hands 
become hardened, the wrapping and gloves could 
be dispensed with altogether. 

Always, before commencing practice, it would 
be well to examine the wires and see that there 
is no sign of a break, for a misthrow or parting 


Spalding's athletic libeaby. 33 

of the head from the handle is one of the most 
discouraging features of the practice of the be- 
ginner. 

Before starting to swing the hammer around 
his head, which is the preliminary movement, the 
thrower should be sure of the position of his feet. 
He should stand at the top of the circle, with the 
right foot on Fig. 1 and the left on Fig. 2, at the 
opposite side from which he intends to throw. 

The feet should be about two feet or so apart 
and with the toes of both almost touching the 
circle. 

In swinging the hammer over the head, the arms 
should be held as straight out from the body as 
possible, so that the hammer handle and arms 
will resemble one and the same connecting rod 
with the body. As the hammer travels round the 
body? as much freedom as possible should be given 
the shoulders and the hands should swing well 
behind the head, thereby describing as large a 
circle as possible in the air. The secret of this is 
that considerable momentum is imparted to the 
flying ball with very little loss of vital force. 

After two or three swings, when the thrower 
feels that he has acquired enough speed in the 
missile, let him heave his body off his toes, bring¬ 
ing the right leg clean around to Fig. 3 and to left 
to Fig. 4. This movement will bring the feet ex¬ 
actly behind their original position and further 
in on the circle, about halfway. 



HAMMER THROWING DIAGRAM 



Turn full around from 1—2 to 3— 4, which is the first turn; then full around 
again, from 3 4 to 5—6, and the third time from 5—6 to 7—8. 





spalding's athletic library. 35 

To make the first turn effectively it is best that 
the hammer thrower should bring the hammer 
well in front of him before his feet leave the 
ground, as shown in the photo of Ryan at the 
start of the throw. The thrower should land on 
his toes on his first spin, and as near to the origi¬ 
nal position as possible. Then, for the purpose of 
balancing himself, he should make the slightest 
pause. The second and third turns should be 
made with all possible speed, at the same time 
reserving a trifle of his power for the final heave- 
off, which is one of the most essential points of 
a good throw. 

One great fault with most men who are anxious 
to figure prominently with the hammer is that 
they get discouraged when they cannot accomplish 
a championship distance after a few weeks’ prac¬ 
tice. It takes time and trouble to be a successful 
ball player, foot bailer, runner or jumper, and 
with the hammer the same way. Because a man 
does not throw well on his first attempt he should 
not abandon the exercise. If he falls when trying 
the turn, let him keep at it, and by persevering 
he will eventually learn the proper balance and 
speed, and this once gained, he will be on the high 
road to success. When John Flanagan, the for¬ 
mer champion, first attempted to execute the 
double turn he stated that he fell flat on his back 
—upset by the force of his own momentum. But 
he stuck at it, tried again and again, went turn- 


36 spalding's athletic library. 

ing, twisting and wriggling all over a ten-acre 
field until, after about two weeks’ hard work, he 
mastered the intricacy of the double evolution. 
Like the art of swimming, once attained, it stays 
with an athlete while he remains in active compe 
tition. 

One thing a beginner should not forget and 
that is, that he cannot throw often enough at 
first. When he can reach 120 or 130 feet he need 
not work so hard, but the great secret at first is 
to Throw , Throw, THKOW! 

An idea gained ground some years ago that to 
be a successful hammer thrower a man had to be 
specially prepared like a prize fighter or six-day 
pedestrian. Such an idea is erroneous. Let a 
man eat plenty of wholesome food, but avoid stogy 
stuff, such as puddings, pastry and any food which 
will cause unnecessary strain on the digestive or¬ 
gans. A rubdown after a hard practice will keep 
the muscles limber and prevent soreness. This, 
added to his work with the hammer, a little atten¬ 
tion to his general health and sleep, will form the 
entire routine of preparation for a hammer 
thrower. 

A few points to be remembered: 

Stand well up on the toes when throwing. 

Make the turns as fast as possible, but be sure 
that the second and third are faster than the 
first. 

Keep the mind centered on the effort. 

Always be determined. 


spalding's athletic library. c 

OFFICIAL A. A. U. RULES FOR ALL WEIGHT 
EVENTS. 


■KULiK XXIII. 


-WEIGHT EVENTS. 


1. In all weight events thrown from the circle, except 
Throwing the Heavy Weight for Height, the competitor 
must stay in the circle until his attempt is marked by an 
official. 


2. In all weight events thrown from the circle the 
competitor may touch the inside of the circle. 

3. The circle shall be 7 feet (2.134 meters) in diameter 
for all weight events except Throwing the Discus, which 
shall be thrown from a circle 8 feet 2 % inches (2 5 
meters) in diameter. The circle shall be measured from 
the inside, and in outdoor competitions shall be sunk 
almost flush with th<} ground. In indoor competitions 
the circle may be marked on the floor. 


The brass shell, as on the Spalding “Official 
Olympic” hammer, No. 16BH, adopted by the In¬ 
ternational Amateur Athletic Federation in its 
congress at Lyons, France, in 1914, and subse¬ 
quently adopted by the Amateur Athletic Union 
of the United States and the principal college 
governing bodies, is the invention of the late 
Michael C. Murphy, the famous University of 
Pennsylvania, Yale and Olympic track and field 
athletic trainer. 

The idea of the brass filled shell, on both the 
hammer and shot, is to retain the spherical shape 
of the implement, which otherwise becomes dented 
and loses weight from continuous impact with 
the ground. 



38 spalding's athletic libbaey. 

The specifications as adopted by the congress 
are as follows: 

OFFICIAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR 16-POUND 
HAMMER. 

Head. —The head shall be a brass shell filled with lead 
or cast gray iron and spherical in shape. 

Handle. —The handle shall be a single unbroken 
straight length of spring steel wire not less than % inch 
(3.175 millimeters) in diameter, or No. 36 piano wire, 
0.102 inch (2.591 millimeters) in diameter. The handle 
may be looped at one or both ends as a means of at¬ 
tachment. 

Grip. —The grip may be either of single or double loop 
construction, but must be rigid and without hinging 
joints of any kind. 

Connections. —The handle shall be connected to the 
head by means of a swivel, which may be either plain 
or ball bearing. The grip shall be connected to the 
handle by means of a loop. A swivel may not be used. 

Weight. —The weight shall be not less than 16 pounds 
(7.257 kilograms) complete, as thrown. 

Length. —The length shall be not more than 4 feet 
(1.219 meters) complete, as thrown. 

OFFICIAL A. A. U. RULE FOR HAMMER 
THROWING. 

RULE XL.—THROWING THE HAMMER. 

1. All throws to be valid throws must fall within a 
90 degree sector marked on the ground. 

2. A fair throw shall be where no part of the body 
of the competitor touches the ground outside the circle. 

3. It shall also be a foul if the competitor steps on the 


spalding's athletic library. 39 

circle or leaves the circle before his throw has been 
marked. 

4. Each competitor shall have three trial throws, and 
the best five shall have three more. Each competitor 
shall be credited with the best of all his throws. 

5. The measurement of the throws shall be from the 
nearest edge of the first mark made by the head of the 
hammer to the Inside circumference of the circle on a line 

from such mark made by the hammer to the center of 
circle. 

6. Letting go of the hammer in an attempt, or touching 
the ground outside the circle with any portion of the 
body while the hammer is in hand, are foul throws, 
which shall not be measured but which shall count as 
throws. 

7. In hammer throwing, if the hammer breaks while in 
the air, it shall not be considered a throw. 


Spalding's athletic library. 


41 


Training for the Hammer 

BY PAT RYAN. 

The balancing of the swings and the timing of 
the turns is the main secret of hammer throwing, 
and until a man can do these things fairly well 
he need never hope to get a really smooth throw 
or to make a big distance. 

It has often been remarked that men who come 
from a certain section in Ireland have usually led 
the world in hammer throwing, and it has been 
hinted that there must be a secret which is passed 
from one to the other and of which the outside world 
can gain but little knowledge. There is a secret, 
of course, but as far as I remember nobody told 
me. I seemed to acquire it by degrees. Nobody 
told Flanagan and, as far as I could learn, Flana¬ 
gan never told McGrath. Yet McGrath has it. 
It is hard to explain this peculiarity on paper and 
it is still harder to make a younger hammer 
thrower understand it. 

The main hinge of the secret is to strike a 
medium between the too fast and the too slow 
swing of the hammer at the start. Some begin¬ 
ners at the game wind the hammer so fast in the 
preliminary swings over the head that they bury 
themselves into the ground, and when they start 
the first turn they have such force in the hammer 
that they are nearly carried off their feet and 


42 


Spalding's athletic library. 


they either fall down before the third turn is made 
or else the hammer flies away without the right 
force being applied at the finish. On the other 
hand, the too slow preliminary swing is nearly as 
bad, for the slow movement will not help the 
thrower to make the first spin and he has, as it 
were, to drag himself around for the first turn and 
is naturally all out of position for the next two 
turns. He has gathered no speed, his feet are in 
the wrong position, and perhaps his body is bent 
over from the exertion of trying to lunge him¬ 
self around so that at the very commencement he 
is wrong and might as well abandon the try then 
and there. He will not be able to make the proper 
kind of a finish, for on the very last heave-off, if 
a man cannot get the lift of the body and the 
sweep of the arms, the hammer will not fly into 
the air and a big throw is impossible. There 
should be one thing before the man’s mind, first, 
last, and all the time, and that is a vicious, snappy 
finish, with every ounce of weight working. Keen 
judges of the game tell me that I appear about 
half my natural size at the finish of my best 
throws. That suits me, for I know when I look 
like that I am getting in all my strength and pull¬ 
ing for every ounce of power in my body. 

A man about to make a throw should swing 
the hammer over his head fairly fast, with the 
shoulders thrown back and the arms held straight 
out at full length. He should bring the hammer 



MATT MeGRATH. 

Swinging around in the first turn of the “56.” 














MATT McGRATH. 


Landing after the first turn in the 4, 56, 






MATT McGHATH. 

In full swing. Start of the second turn, 








MATT McGRATH. 

Final position in throwing the “56,” 


' V 







Spalding's athletic library. 43 

well in front of him before his feet begin to leave 
the ground for the first turn. At the same time 
his body should be turning from the hips upward 
in the direction of the turn. The knees should be 
slightly bent, so as to impart a little spring to 
help to throw the body around. It is best to make 
the first turn as short as a man possibly can and 
to almost land the feet right behind the stance 
of the original position. This will give a lot of 
room for the next two turns and a little leeway 
to go forward at the spins, for if the thrower can¬ 
not go forward his efforts are almost useless. A 
vital point is to make the slightest pause as the 
feet touch the ground after the first turn. This 
will balance the swing and the athlete can tear 
into the next two like a wild man. 

I once heard a college coach tell one of the 
most promising of his pupils that he should try 
and make his body always beat the hammer so 
that he would be in the right position for a heave- 
off at the finish. The poor college advisor did not 
know the first rudiments of the sport and he was, 
for the sake of a bluff, simply killing off whatever 
ability the innocent student may have possessed. 
The collegian did leave the hammer behind him 
and tore himself all over the circle and was so 
exhausted that he had little or no strength left 
when he attempted to get a drive at the finish. 

It is something not very well known that ham¬ 
mer throwing is a very tiring exercise, much more 


44 spalding's athletic library. 

so than the 56-ponnd weight, shot or discus. 
Therefore, the beginner should be careful of the 
amount of exercise he should take. When learn¬ 
ing, fifteen throws a day will be found to be 
enough, and when proficient about half that num¬ 
ber will do. If he finds that he is fagged out 
after a practice he may skip a couple of days to 
rest the muscles. He should watch out for stale¬ 
ness, which steals unawares on a hammer thrower 
and is a thing very hard to overcome. A man 
may eat almost any healthy food, but must avoid 
the victuals that cause biliousness, or cause any 
great exertion on the stomach during the progress 
of digestion. On the day of a competition food 
should be partaken of sparingly and the athlete 
should feel that his stomach is completely empty 
during the contest 


SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. 


45 


Putting the Shot 

Putting the shot is a heavyweight exercise that 
requires a considerable amount of study, adapta¬ 
bility, and quick muscular action. To achieve 
anything like a respectable distance with the 
sphere every fibre of the athlete’s body must work 
in unison and the preliminary movements of the 
pu must be so timed and arranged as to lead 
up to one concentrated effort in the final heave. 
IcDonald and Mucks, leaders in the event at the 
present day, while somewhat dissimilar in build 
and style, get the same tremendous drive at the 
finish, which is the only way to register a big 
distance. For a young man, then, to become 
proficient m the event the best plan is to watch 
one of these performers and copy his style. If he 
cannot find the opportunity to observe either one 
of the pair at work some other less prominent per¬ 
former may serve for a model on whose method the 
learner could afterward improve. But, should 
t ere be none at all to copy, the aspirant will be 
aided in the cultivation of a proper style by the 
method suggested here, which is a sort of a com¬ 
posite gleaned from the leading weight putters of 
the past decade. 

The first thing necessary is to learn how to 
old the shot in the hand. It may, no doubt, 
seem rather silly to advise the athlete how a 


46 


spalding's athletic library. 


brass sphere should be properly held, or that it 
should make any material difference as to what 
manner the hand should grasp the missile; but 
it has been clearly demonstrated that several feet 
can be added to the put by adhering to one par¬ 
ticular style. 

When the shot is held in the hand, the athlete 
should not try to grasp it tightly, for in the en¬ 
deavor to tighten the fingers on the ball the sinews 
of the wrist are thereby stiffened, and on this 
account the forearm must necessarily lose a good 
deal of its accustomed power. The fingers and 
the palm of the hand should form a cup and the 
shot should rest comfortably in it, the main por¬ 
tion of the weight falling on the base of the in¬ 
dex, middle and ring finger, and the corresponding 
part of the palm of the hand. The thumb and 
little finger play no very active part and should 
not be taxed with any of the weight of the shot 
and should only serve to prevent it slipping off 
at either side. When the shot is held as described, 
the fingers should be kept close together and care 
should be taken lest the weight slip backward 
toward the tips, as it is detrimental to the force 
of the propulsion. 

As to the way in which the arm is held when the 
shot is in hand it is largely a matter of choice, 
but the best method is to keep the elbow in such 
a position that the shot rests between the point of 
the shoulder and the collar bone. Of course a, 


spalding's athletic library. 


47 


great many athletes have short arms and cannot 
do this comfortably, but they should at all times 
remember to hold the shot as close to the shoulder 
as possible, with the elbow well in toward the ribs. 
The nearer the hand is held to the shoulder the 
greater will be the force found in the final drive; 
and the further away the shot is held from the 
shoulder the less power will be found in the mus¬ 
cles of the arm when called upon to propel the 
weight. 

When the athlete finds he can hold the shot 
satisfactorily, or after the plan described, he 
should try a few standing puts; that is, with feet 
about eighteen inches apart. While executing 
these puts let him remember to swing his body 
well around to the front before he starts to shoot 
out his arm, as it is more important to bring the 
heave of the shoulder into play than the speed 
with which the arm straightens out. All the time 
he should put in an upward direction; or the 
arm when extended to its full length, after the 
shot has left, should make an angle of about 45 
degrees with the body. 

As soon as the putter finds he can make the shot 
travel in a fairly straight line from the standing 
position, he should then essay the full length of 
the circle. All the time he should never lose sight 
of the fact that the motive power for making the 
weight travel is created by a rapid spring and 
half turn of the body; that the arm work should 
be employed only in the final part of the effort. 


fRONT CLEAT 


16-POUND SHOT DIAGRAM 








Spalding's athletic library. 49 

The method for securing the correct position 
may be partially gleaned from the diagram 
shown on opposite page. The putter stands 
at the back of the circle, holds the shot in his 
left hand, with the right foot on Fig. 1, and 
the left on Fig. 2. During this preparation the 
weight should not be removed from the left 
hand, reserving the right until the moment before 
commencing the put. After having thoroughly 
acquired his poise the shot should be passed from 
the left to the right hand, and without much delay 
a quick hop is taken to the center of the circle, 
the right foot landing on Fig. 3, and the left on 
Fig. 4. Then, with a sharp spring, the legs are 
reversed and the right half of the body is brought 
quickly to the front and the arm shoots out with 
all the power possible to the putter; thus the 
right foot will be brought to Fig. 5, while the left 
swings over to Fig. 6, as a balance to keep the 
body from toppling over the cleat. Any delay 
made in the center of the circle (Fig. 3) is fatal, 
and here the right foot should barely touch the 
ground ere the final spring is accomplished. 

To a right-handed putter the main strain falls 
on the right ankle, and, in order to prevent acci¬ 
dents, it is best to use an elastic stocking or rub¬ 
ber bandage while practicing. 

The amount of work each day may be explained 
in a paragraph. An athlete cannot put often 
enough until he has learned the knack, but as 


50 


Spalding's athletic library. 


he grows proficient the number of puts should be 
curtailed by degrees. After he has mastered the 
rudiments of the game an average of about six or 
eight puts per day, with a little dumbbell exer¬ 
cise in the morning or evening, will be sufficient. 

The athlete should at all times put in his best 
style, standing well up on his toes and with all 
the dash and fire he is capable of throwing into 
his movements. 

A few vital points to be remembered by the 
weight putter are: 

Don’t stoop too low when starting to put. 

Don’t delay in the hop to the center of the 
circle. 

Always remember to bring the body well around 
before the arm starts to shoot out 

Always use a brass shot in preference to an 
iron or lead one. 

For Official A. A. U. Rules for all Weight Events, see page 37. 

OFFICIAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR 16-POUND SHOT. 

Construction .—The shot shall be a brass shell filled 
with lead, and spherical in shape. 

Weight. The shot shall weigh not less than 16 pounds 
(7.257 kilograms). 

OFFICIAL A. A. U. RULE FOR PUTTING THE 
SHOT. 

RULE XXXVII.—PUTTING THE SHOT. 

1. The shot shall be put from the shoulder with one 
hand only, and it must never be brought behind the 
shoulder. 


Spalding's athletic library. 51 

2. In the middle of the circumference of the circle, at 
the front half thereof, shall be placed a stop-board, firmly 
fastened to the ground. In making his puts, the feet 
of the competitor may rest against but not on top of 
this board. 

3. A fair put shall be one in which no part of the per¬ 
son of the competitor touches the top of the stop-board, 
the top of the circle, or the ground outside the circle. 

4. The measurement of each put shall be taken at the 
circle from the nearest mark made by the fall of the shot 
to the inside of the circumference of the circle on a line 
from such mark made by the shot to the center of the 
circle. 

5. Foul puts and letting go the shot in making an at¬ 
tempt shall be counted as trial puts without result. It 
shall also be a foul if the competitor steps on the circle, 
or leaves the circle before his throw has been marked. 

6. Each competitor shall have three trial puts, and the 
best five shall have three more. Each competitor shall 
be credited with the best of all his puts. 











spalding's athletic library. 


53 


Training for Shot Putting 

by pat McDonald 

It is not a very difficult matter to tell bow to 
train for the shot, but it is not very easy for the 
beginner to imbibe what a seasoned shot putter 
might advise. Any man around two hundred 
pounds or so can become a good shot putter if 
he has a fair amount of strength and gets the 
correct style at the commencement. What de¬ 
stroys the great majority of weight putters is that 
they contract a wrong method at the outset, 
which is almost impossible to remedy. Until the 
proper style is acquired championship aspirations 
are hopeless. 

The novice wishing to take up shot putting 
should first of all get a shot of about eighteen 
pounds, and the reason I favor a shot a little 
heavier than the sixteen is that it develops the 
muscles of the back and the shoulders and builds 
up the legs in wonderful shape. At first the ath¬ 
lete should “put” from stand and learn how to 
reverse his body, and the one great thing he 
should always remember is, to bring his body well 
around before the arm starts to shoot out. This 
is the movement that will insure every ounce 
of strength in the arm and legs, and the weight 
of the body and driving power of the back being 
put into the “put.” Now and again the athlete 


54 


spalding's athletic library. 


may take a few heaves out of the sixteen and he 
could even have a turn at the twelve, as the change 
from one to the other will help to make the prac¬ 
tice interesting. 

As soon as the man finds that he is able to 
drive the ball well from the stand he should begin 
to try the full hop across the circle. I may say 
here that when a man shoots his arm out it should 
get an upward motion of about 45 degrees. If the 
arm is shot out any lower the shot will travel too 
low and no distance worth while will be the re¬ 
sult. Then, again, if the athlete drives his arm 
too high the ball will exhaust itself in the air 
and it will be just as bad as if it traveled too 
low. After a while the man will be able to see 
for himself the correct elevation. 

When the athlete begins to take the full meas¬ 
ure of the circle he should stand at the back, di¬ 
rectly in line with the direction in which he wants 
to put. He should set himself well, and all the 
time he should hold the shot in the left hand and 
until he is ready for the hop, when the shot should 
be passed to the right hand. There should be the 
least delay after the ball has been set in the 
right hand, for if allowed to remain there too 
long the arm will tire. The manner in which the 
athlete takes the hop to the center of the ring 
is important. It should be a good lively swing, 
not too fast nor too slow. Neither should the 
putter jump too high, but he should partly scrape 


Spalding's athletic library. 55 

his foot along the ground to the center of the 
circle. As the right foot lands in the center of 
the circle, the left should hit the ground plumb 
against the toe-board. This is the best position to 
get the drive of the body and the arm at one and 
the same instant, and when the athlete drives 
his arm out he should remember to lean with the 
body as far as he can over the toe-board, as the 
longer the arm is driving after the shot the fur¬ 
ther it will go. It is a curious thing what the 
camera shows: the shot leaves a man’s hand before 
he starts to reverse his body, and, after all, the 
reverse is only for the purpose of balancing the 
body to keep it from toppling over the toe-board. 

After the shot putter is in shape, a half a dozen 
puts a day will give sufficient exercise. He should 
learn to get the best there is in him in six puts, 
for this is the limit of competition. It is rather 
a poor plan for an athlete to require a dozen 
puts before he can get his best, when in the compe¬ 
tition he is allowed only three in the preliminary 
trials. That is one of the reasons why most men 
do better in practice than in the contest. They 
never learn to do their best in a few tries. 

An athlete may eat anything he fancies when 
training for the shot, but he should eat very little 
the day of competition. A couple of chops, tea 
and toast, about three hours before the competi¬ 
tion, will be sufficient. 












SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. 


57 


The 56-Pound Weight 

Throwing the 56-pound weight is the one excep¬ 
tion in the heavyweight department that requires 
a substratum of strength before the prospective 
competitor need reasonably hope for very great 
distinction. True enough, small and seemingly 
frail men have accomplished respectable distances, 
but the individual cases have been rare. Admit¬ 
tedly, it is pre-eminently a pastime for big men. 
In the old days, when the record was some ten or 
twelve feet less than it is now, the competitors 
were more numerous, because the disparity in 
merit was not so striking, and if a man failed to 
achieve a long throw his form was not so much 
behind the champion. The weight was then 
thrown with one hand from stand without run 
in follow, and short throws were usually in order, 
but now the missile is swung twice round with 
both hands same as the hammer; the throws are 
longer, and more strength is required, so the 
different degrees of merit have been consequently 
forced apace. 

Throwing with two turns is more likely to re¬ 
main the prevailing style for many years to come; 
therefore, it is only on that style these few hints 
to beginners are directed. 

Many men are deterred from trying the “56” 
on account of a dread of its being too weighty to 
whirl around the head. This is a mistake. No 


58 spalding's athletic library. 

matter how weak the man, he can twist the weight 
around his head by contracting the muscles of his 
back, holding his arms rigid, with the weight in 
hand, but allowing his body to sway slightly from 
the hips upward. 

Quite often some strong-looking man grasps the 
weight by the crook, tries to whirl it madly round 
his head and narrowly escapes sweeping his cran¬ 
ium off in the attempt. Had he exercised the least 
judgment, and resorted to the wrinkle stated, he 
could have swung the weight around easily and 
maybe thrown it a fair distance with a trifle of as¬ 
siduous perseverance. A man need never be afraid 
of swinging the weight around his head; it is in 
performing the evolutions of the body afterward 
that strength is chiefly required. But there is a 
method of managing the strength, which every 
man who throws a 56-pound weight should know, 
and which is absolutely indispensable to a first 
class performance. To convey this clearly on 
paper is not a very easy matter, but it is better 
to begin with the initial movement of the athlete, 
when he steps up to have his throw. 

The best method of holding the weight is to 
grasp the crook with both hands, the thumbs 
turned toward the body and the backs of the 
hands facing outward. Many throwers turn the 
hands in an adverse position—that is, the back 
of one hand turned outward and the other turned 
inward; but this is wrong, as it has a contracting 
effect on the work of the shoulder muscles. The 



A. MUCKS, 

University of Wisconsin, who set a new discus record, 
145 feet 4 1-2 inches. 




« 



SAARTSTO. 

At the start of the run. 




































SAARTSTO. 

Rigid position of body immediately after javelin has left the hand. Photo¬ 
graph was taken by Mr. Mitchel at Stockholm, Sweden, in 1912, at the time 
of the Olympic Games, at 8 o’clock in the evening. 











SAARISTO. 

The great Finnish javelin thrower. Showing the wonderful action in his 

delivery. 



spalding's athletic library. 


59 


bar of the crook should be also roomy, as a narrow 
one brings the hands too close together and ham¬ 
pers the free movement of the chest muscles when 
the weight is traveling round the head. 

In assuming his position in the circle the 
thrower should stand at the opposite side from 
which he intends the weight to fly, with both feet 
at the edge of the circle, the right on Fig. 1 and 
the left on Fig. 2, and with the weight of the body 
partly resting on the left foot; the feet should 
be about 24 inches apart. The left shoulder 
should be lowered a little, as it will help the body 
in the turn when the thrower starts to spin. 

As a preliminary move, the thrower should 
swing the weight between his legs, then back to 
the right side, and then, with a good, lively, loose 
swing, once around the head. As the weight de¬ 
scends from behind the right side the toe of the 
left foot now should be pivoted and a short lunge 
taken forward, while the right foot is being 
swished around the left; and the right will be 
brought over on Fig. 3 and the left on Fig. 4. 
Without the least delay, another lunge should be 
taken, the right foot coming to Fig. 5 and the 
left to Fig. 6. At the same time the athlete 
should not forget to throw all his force into the 
final lift or heave of the weight and he should hold 
himself well together, as an extra bracing of the 
muscles will keep him from fouling. To attempt 
to jump clear around with the “56” is foolish, the 
weight and centrifugal force being too much for 


56-POUND WEIGHT DIAGRAM 



Swing full around from 1—2 to 3—4, which ia the first turn. Then, again 
awing from 3—4 to 5—6, the second turn. 




spalding's athletic libeaey. 61 

even the strongest athlete to resist. By executing 
the pivot on the left foot at the commencement of 
each turn the right will almost reach its second 
position before the left leaves the ground. This 
plan will impart a sort of gliding movement to 
the limbs and at no time will the two feet be off 
the ground together. 

One may bound clean around with the hammer, 
but with the “56” it should be avoided. The very 
best plan to master the “56” is to first practice 
turning with a 35-pound weight. The amount of 
work with the weight should not be indulged in 
as freely as with the hammer, shot or discus, as 
the strain of the throw more or less lacerates th^ 
muscles of the back and stomach and is excep¬ 
tionally distressing on the diaphragm. About 
half a dozen throws per day will be sufficient for 
the most robust candidate. 

A man in training for the “56” may eat almost 
anything he pleases, but he must not bolt his food 
or use stimulants to excess. He should at all 
times endeavor to keep his stomach in good order. 

For Official A. A. U. Rules for all Weight Events, see page 37. 

OFFICIAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE HEAVY 
WEIGHT. 

THROWING THE HEAVY WEIGHT (56 LBS. = 25.401 
KILOGRAMS). 

Head .—The head shall be of molded lead, or a brass 
shell filled with lead, and spherical in shape, having 
imbedded a forged steel eye bolt as a means for attach¬ 
ing the handle. 


62 spalding's athletic library. 

Handle .—The handle shall be made of round iron or 
steel measuring y 2 inch (12.7 millimeters) in diameter, 
bent in a triangular form, no side of which shall be 
more than 7}4 inches (184.146 millimeters) inside meas¬ 
urement. 

Connection .—The handle shall be connected to the 
head by means of a welded steel link measuring % inch 
(9.525 millimeters) in diameter. 

Weight .—The weight shall be not less than 56 pounds 
(25.401 kilograms) complete as thrown. 

Length .—The length shall be not more than 16 inches 
(406.39 millimeters) complete as thrown. 

OFFICIAL A. A. U. RULES FOR THROWING THE 
HEAVY WEIGHT. 

RULE XXXIX.—THROWING THE HEAVY WEIGHT. 

1. In making his throw, the competitor may assume 
any position he chooses and use both hands. 

2 . Foul throws and letting go the weight in an attempt 
shall count as trial throws without result. 

3. It shall also be a foul if the competitor steps on the 
circle, or leaves the circle before his throw has been 
marked. 

THROWING FOR DISTANCE. 

4. A fair throw shall be one where no part of the body 
of the competitor touches the top of the circle or the 
ground outside the circle. 

5. The measurement of each throw shall be taken at 
the circle from the nearest mark made by the fall of any 
part of the weight or handle to the inside edge of the 
circumference of the circle on a line from such mark to 
the center of the circle. 

6 . Each competitor shall have three trial throws, and 
the best five shall have three more. Each competitor 
shall be credited with the best of all his throws. 


SPALDINGS ATHLETIC LIBRARY. 


THROWING FOR HEIGHT. 

7. A barrel head 3 feet in diameter shall be suspended 
horizontally in the air. 

8 . The Field Judges shall determine the height at which 
the barrel head shall be fixed at the beginning of the 
competition, and at each successive elevation. 

9. A fair throw shall be one where no part of the 
body of the competitor touches the ground outside the 
circle before the weight touches the barrel head, and 
■where any part of the weight or handle touches any part 
of the barrel head. 

10. The measurement of each throw shall be from the 
ground perpendicularly up to the lowest part of the 
barrel head. 

11. The method of competition shall be the same as in 
the Running High Jump. 












Spalding's athletic libeaby. 


65 


Training for the “ 56 ” 

BY MATT McGKATH 

It is a singular thing that training with the 
56-pound weight will strengthen a man more than 
any other of the heavyweight exercises, that is, 
provided a man is fairly strong. When I mean 
fairly strong I mean a man who can catch up a 
“56,” swing around, and throw it some distance 
Without feeling any great strain from the exertion. 
Weak men, and especially those with defective 
kidneys, should never bother with the big weight. 
Perhaps one of the most beneficial exercises with 
this weight is to swing it between the legs and 
throw it about a dozen times every day. It has 
the effect of developing the muscles of the back, 
loins, thighs and calves, and is nothing short of a 
tonic to the muscles of the stomach. Every time 
I go to practice from the circle I always take 
half a dozen throws from stand between the legs 
and find it to be even a better muscle builder 
than throwing with a double turn. 

It is no easy matter to master the knack of 
throwing with the double turn from the 7-foot 
circle and keep inside the bounds. In swinging 
around with the weight, the force is such that it 
has the tendency to carry the thrower too far 
forward at every movement, and, consequently, 
if he does not manage himself well he will be 


66 spalding's athletic libeaey. 

taken over the front of the circle every time. Per¬ 
sonally, I find it very hard most of the time to 
keep from fouling. The best plan to begin with 
is to make the easiest sort of a turn on the first 
spin, in fact, if a man does not make an easy turn 
he might as well drop the weight then and there, 
walk around and try again. One swing will be 
found necessary over the head and this should 
be nice and loose, the weight traveling well behind 
the head. As the weight is brought around to 
the front, the body should wear around with it 
until the ball is nearly half around the body. 
Then a little hop is taken and the feet should rest 
well and firmly on the ground after the first 
turn. The thrower, if he does as suggested here, 
may tear into the second turn like a tiger, but he 
should be careful not to jump too far forward, 
for if he does he will land over the front of the 
circle. It is a curious thing in connection with 
the double turns in throwing the “56” that if a 
man makes the first turn right he is sure to make 
the second one well inside the circle and get the 
proper lift-off at the finish, something which 
should be the aim of every athlete who cares 
to figure in the championship class. No man 
need expect to execute the double turn without 
long and careful practice and a goodly amount 
of study at the same time. All the men, including 
myself, who were successful with the double turn 
had to work diligently to get the knack, which is, 
of course, the best method of all with the “56.” 


spalding's athletic library. 


67 


Learning the “56” double turn is tiptop school¬ 
ing for the hammer, for it gives the athlete a keen 
idea of how to balance himself and to get the 
proper timing to his swings. 

When the athlete has learned the double turn 
he should be careful about the amount of work 
he should do each day. A dozen throws should be 
the outside of his session with the weight and it 
will be found that the physical condition will be 
improved by letting a day lapse maybe twice a 
week. If a man stays too long away from his 
practice he may lose a little of the knack, and if 
he should be ambitious to improve, strict atten¬ 
tion will be found to be the best of all plans. If 
approaching a public competition, an athlete 
should not practice for three days previous, allow¬ 
ing that length of time for a good rest of the 
muscles. 

I have been often asked what I eat in training. 
My answer has been that I eat everything 
strengthening, and only avoid sweets and pastries 
of all kinds. On the day of a competition I eat 
sparingly and generally allow three hours to 
elapse between my last meal and the time ap¬ 
pointed for the contest. 














spalding's athletic library. 


69 


The Discus 

The discus, on account of its unwieldy shape, 
is the most uncertain of the weight events, and 
the one for which the least amount of muscular 
power is required. A lithe, wiry, snappy fellow 
can at all times expect to throw it well, while 
often a man who is in the front rank with the 
“56” or hammer may find much trouble in grasp¬ 
ing the real knack. He, perhaps, applies his pow¬ 
er at the wrong moment and instead of the disc 
being sent flying away for a big distance it goes 
whirling in the air and falls to the ground seventy 
or eighty feet from the circle. 

The most vital part of discus throwing is to 
learn how to scale it and the proper elevation. 
First of all it is necessary that the athlete should 
learn to get a proper hold on the implement, as it 
conduces to a good method of scaling. In hold¬ 
ing the discus it should lie flat against the palm 
of the hand, with the fingers spread out and the 
tips covering the outer edge. The thumb should 
be straightened at an angle of about 45 degrees 
against the convex part, to steady the missile in 
making the attempt. Some athletes try to grasp 
the edge of the disc with the foremost joint of 
the fingers, but this should be avoided, as it ham¬ 
pers the free use of the arm. 

After the athlete finds he can hold the discus 


DISCUS DIAGRAM 



Pivot on the left foot (No. 2), bring the right on No. 1 around to No. 3. 
Then pivot again on No. 3, slant the left to No. 4, and without 
delay, reverse the feet, bringing the right to No. 5. 




Spalding's athletic library. 


71 


comfortably he should then try a few standing 
throws. The stationary position is preferred for 
gaining a line on the proper scaling method. Each 
day about a dozen trials should be taken this 
way, after which about as many more should be 
tried with a turn. 

In the development of the game so far, only one 
turn is found to be possible from the circle, 
though, as time wears on, men may develop the 
double turn with success. To make this turn the 
athlete should place the right foot on Fig. 1 and 
the left on Fig. 2. The body should stoop forward 
somewhat, while the arm holding the discus 
should be held as far out from the body as pos¬ 
sible; and as a preliminary movement before 
starting to turn, the discus should be swung back¬ 
ward and forward a few times. He should then 
be standing in the circle with the right foot on 
Fig. 1 and the left on Fig. 2. 

After the thrower has thus gathered a little 
momentum, he should start to turn by pivoting 
on the left foot (No. 2), the right being brought 
around to Fig. 3. Here another pivot should be 
made and the left foot should land out to the 
point of the circle, at Fig. 4. Then a quick hop 
should be taken while the legs are being reversed, 
the right foot landing on Fig. 5, and as the right 
shoulder comes forward, the arm should be 
brought quickly around and the discus sent scal¬ 
ing away. 


72 spalding's athletic LIBR4EY. 

By following the plan of the diagram the ath¬ 
lete will execute a sort of a waltz step across the 
circle, which is better than a complete jump 
around, used by so many unsuccessful discus 
throwers. 

On account of being so light, many athletes are 
of the impression that the main part of the effort 
should be contributed by the arm, but this is a 
mistake, as the more proficient performer relies 
for a rapid turn of the body, reserving the arm for 
a final sweep. 

Like ball playing or other light exercises, a 
man can throw the discus all day long without 
feeling anyway exhausted. At first he cannot 
throw it too often until he has acquired the 
proper style, after which about a dozen throws 
per day will be sufficient. 


For Official A. A. U. Rules for all Weight Events, see page 37. 

OFFICIAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE DISCUS. 

THROWING THE DISCUS. 

Construction .—The discus shall be composed of a metal 
rim, permanently attached to a wood body, brass plates 
set flush into the sides of the wood body and, in the ex¬ 
act center of the discus, a means for securing the 
correct weight The brass plates shall be circular in 
form, having a diameter of not less than 2 inches (50.799 
millimeters) nor more than 2% inches (57.149 milli¬ 
meters). Each side of the discus shall be a counterpart 
of the other side and shall have no indentations, pro¬ 
jecting points, or sharp edges. The sides shall taper in 
a straight line from the beginning of the curve of the 


spalding's athletic library. 73 

rim to a line a distance of not less than 1 inch (25.399 
millimeters) from the center of the discus. 

Measurements .—The largest dimension shall be a cir¬ 
cle not less than 8% inches (219.07 millimeters) in 
diameter. The thickness through the exact center, on 
a line perpendicular to the diameter, shall be not less 
than 1% inches (44.449 millimeters). The thickness at 
1 inch (25.399 millimeters) from the center shall be ex¬ 
actly the same as at the center. The thickness of the 
rim at a distance of % inch (6.35 millimeters) from the 
edge shall be not less than y 2 inch (12.70 millimeters). 
The edge shall be rounded on a true circle. 

Weight— The weight of the discus shall be not less 
than 4 pounds 6.55 ounces (2 kilograms) complete as 
thrown. 

OFFICIAL A. A. U. RULE FOR DISCUS THROWING. 

BULE XXXVI.—THROWING THE DISCUS. 

1. All throws, to be valid, must fall within a 90 de¬ 
gree sector marked on the ground. 

2. It shall be a foul throw if the competitor, after 
he has stepped into the circle and started to make his 
throw, touches with any part of his body or clothing the 
ground outside the circle before the discus strikes the 
ground. It shall also be a foul if the competitor steps 
on circle. 

3. The measurements of each throw shall be made 
from the nearest mark made by the fall of the discus 
to the inside circumference of the circle on a line from 
such mark made by the discus to the center of the 
circle. 

4. Each competitor shall have three trial throws, and 
the best five shall have three more. Each competitor 
shall be credited with the best of all his throws. 









G. A. BRONDER, JR. 

Holder of American record for throwing the javelin, 190 feet (5 inches. 

Photo Newark Sunday Call, 









9 






The famous Swedish 




ERIC Y. LEMMING. 

javelin thrower shown in the act of releasing the 
implement. 


















Spalding's athletic librae 


75 


Weight Throwing for Boys 

For the boys who happen to fancy field events 
the javelin and junior discus are to be recom¬ 
mended above all others. These missiles are so 
light that the very smallest and weakest boys 
can indulge in them without the least danger of 
incurring any strains in the vital parts of the 
body. To follow those events closely will give 
the youth all the exercise his physique is able to 
endure, while at the same time there will be an 
all-around muscular development which may lead 
to competition in the heavier weights afterward. 

Singularly enough, in ancient days these two 
events took a place in the medical gymnastics, and 
were recommended by the physicians as of the 
greatest benefit to youngsters subject to giddiness 
or even those of plethoric temperament. Of the 
two, the javelin is more fancied by the boys, for 
it is a more fascinating and spectacular exercise. 
It is highly beneficial, too, for good influence on 
the upper parts of the body. It develops the 
thorax and the organs of respiration, and is liter¬ 
ally a tonic for boys inclined to show weak lungs 
and other pulmonary trouble. The position of the 
body and head and the run to the scratch line 
to make the throw will not only strengthen the 
shoulders and chest, but the legs will come in for 
their share of the development. When exercising 
with the javelin boys would do well to follow the 


76 


spalding's athletic library. 


advice given in the chapter of “Javelin Throwing” 
in this book, and to try and imitate as much as 
possible the style used by Saaristo, the Finnish 
champion. 

One thing a boy should always remember, and 
that is, the very minute his arm begins to pain 
him between the elbow and shoulder, it is a 
signal of distress and he should rest for several 
days. If his arm is not too bad he may continue, 
but it is advisable that he should go slow on the 
amount of daily practice, or else skip a couple of 
days in the week. The beginner should always 
remember to bring his arm forward in the throw 
in a semicircular direction, for then he will be 
less liable to injure the biceps or to impart a 
twist to the ligaments of the elbow. It is in this 
twisting of the elbow that the main danger in 
throwing the javelin centers, for once a ligament 
is disturbed in that part of the arm it is liable 
to give trouble at any moment ever afterward. 
The youngster should also be mindful not to allow 
his arm to drop below the level of the shoulder 
when making his effort, but he may lower the 
shoulder a little in order to gather himself for 
the throw. In doing this, the javelin should be 
held high up or on a level with the top of the 
head. It is strange that all good throws never 
hurt the arm, but only the wrong ones that are 
sure to cause a laceration. 

The discus from its modus operandi is the less 
harmful of the two events. With the arm rigid 


Spalding's athletic library. 


77 


the young athlete has only to swing round in a 
sort of waltz step and throw it away. He will 
do well to pay attention to the diagram in this 
volume on discus throwing. He should keep a 
few other points well in mind. One of the most 
important is that when he finds himself at the 
front of the circle, about to make the final heave, 
his arm should be well behind him, so that he will 
get all the power of the arm and back for a sweep¬ 
ing drive at the finish. Neither should he attempt 
the final heave until he finds that his left foot 
has landed at the front of the circle, after which 
he may reverse the legs with a jump in the air, 
at the same instant bringing the arm around as 
quickly as possible. 

If at all within his capability the young athlete 
should throw with an “uppercut” of the arm and 
not with the round arn so prevalent in America. 
Taifale, winner of the last Olympic championship, 
used the “uppercut,” and when his discus fell it 
nearly rested on the identical spot where it first 
hit the ground. The throws of all the others 
“skimmed” along the turf for a distance of about 
fifty feet and that meant so much energy thrown 
away. 

Boys or young men should never attempt to 
throw the 56-pound weight, 16-pound hammer or 
16-pound shot. These are too much of a strain 
for a young, soft, muscular system, and until the 
aspirant is well developed he should shun the 
heavy weights. 













spalding’s athletic library. 


79 


Throwing the Javelin 

Throwing the javelin, which is now recognized 
as a standard event the world over, or at least 
wherever athletics has become popular, ranks as 
one of the oldest of field contests. In the early 
days of the Olympic Games it was included in 
the pentathlon or all-around contest, and, singular 
to relate, the javelin was pretty much the same in 
length and weight as the one used to-day. What¬ 
ever difference might be unearthed was in the con¬ 
struction of the head or spear. That of the an¬ 
cients was of bronze and extended halfway up the 
shaft, which was of dogberry wood and very 
hard. This latter quality was claimed to be an 
advantage, the early performers having discovered 
the secret that the stiffer the handle the smoother 
and further it flew. How much science these an¬ 
tique theorists had mastered is borne out by the 
policy of the experts of the present, especially 
the Finns and Swedes, who are in favor of the 
real hardwood javelin. 

The statement that Sweden originated javelin 
throwing is erroneous, although it is perhaps true 
enough that more good exemplars of the game can 
be found there than in any other country. The 
reason for the proficiency of the Norsemen is that 
for about twenty years they had been practicing 
the exercise and had a big start on the rest of 


80 SPALDING’S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. 

the world when the competition was suddenly 
revived in the Olympic Games at Athens in 1906. 
When the javelin had not yet been seen in Sweden 
or Norway, other nations, both in ancient and 
modern times, were showing all sorts of clever 
stunts with the implement. The Greek language 
abounds in the description of the various sorts 
of javelins, pikes and lances, and it is not easy 
to distinguish between the different varieties. Ac¬ 
cording to Homer, it was with a javelin that 
Achilles killed Hector under the walls of Troy. 

Sometimes the contests in the ancient Pan- 
athenian stadium were at a mark, while at others 
the conditions were for distance, and great feats 
are credited to some of the ancient warriors. The 
Romans used a spear about 8 feet 6 inches long, 
called a pilum, with a thong loop in the center 
for the purpose of increasing the force of pro¬ 
jection. In a tomb at Chiusi there is the carved 
figure of an Etruscan preparing to hurl his javelin, 
and on a painted vase in the Louvre there is an¬ 
other figure in the act of throwing, and the javelin 
has a cord wound around the middle, as is the 
binding on the javelins of our time. 

All the oriental countries encouraged the throw¬ 
ing of the “djerid,” which is practically a javelin 
with a reed handle. Among the Persians, the 
Arabs and the Turks the game of djerid attained 
great prominence. Chardin, the celebrated trav¬ 
eler of the seventeenth century, tells of some rare 


spalding’s athletic library. 81 

feats he witnessed with the javelin in parts of 
Persia. At one of the jousts he saw fifteen young 
Abyssinians show great skill in throwing the jav¬ 
elin from horseback. Niebuhr, who visited Arabia 
about the beginning of the eighteenth century, 
speaks of the marvelous skill of Emir of Loheia, 
who at full gallop would throw his javelin from 
the saddle, overtake it in flight, and catch it be¬ 
fore it descended. 

Clever as the deed of Emir might appear, it 
falls to mediocrity beside that of Cuhullian, the 
hero of the Tailtin games of ancient Ireland. It 
is recorded in the annals that his throw of the 
full-sized javelin taped 100 yards, while he was 
capable of hurling the small javelin the astonish¬ 
ing length of a quarter of a mile, and that at that 
point it would slide clean through a human being. 
Cuhullian carried the small spears in a sheath 
and used them both for offensive and defensive 
purposes. It may be that Celtic imagination is 
stretched a trifle here, but one thing is certain, 
and that is that javelin throwing was well known 
to the pre-Christian inhabitants of the Green Isle. 
This claim is corroborated by the fact that in the 
old manuscripts compiled about the time of the 
birth of Christ the word javelin is spelled the 
same as it is to-day. Extreme historians have it 
that the word is purely of Gaelic origin. 

At the present time the two leaders of the sport 
are J. J. Saaristo of Finland, winner of the two- 


82 spalding’s athletic library. 

handed contest in the Fifth Olympiad, at Stock¬ 
holm, where in the right-hand throw he made a 
world’s record of over 200 feet, and Eric V. Lem¬ 
ming of Sweden, thrice winner of the Olympic 
one-hand title. 

While the styles of the pair differ, the main 
object is similar, that is, to get a smooth, pause¬ 
less run to the take-off and such arm action at the 
delivery as would cause the javelin to travel 
straight while in the air and without a wobble. 

# Sa aristo’s method is the more scientific, and, 
singularly enough, simpler and more easily copied. 
It is the one that should appeal to all prospective 
javelin throwers. When in championship con¬ 
tests the Finn usually takes a run of about sixty 
feet and at each try travels as straight as a die. 
He holds the spear in his hand with the palm 
upward and held above the shoulder, on about a 
level with the eyes. A remarkable thing in con¬ 
nection with this method is that the throwers 
of ancient times held the shaft above the shoulder 
at the same height, their opinion being that the 
level of the ear or eye was the best plan of all. 
Before starting to make the effort, Saaristo stands 
or a few seconds and measures the spot on the 
scratch line from which he will subsequently 
make the delivery. He starts away softly and 
at every stride gathers a trifle more speed. All 
the time the javelin is held in the same position 
with spear tilted upward and. slightly turned to- 


Spalding’s athletic library. 83 

ward the chest. When within about four strides 
of the take-off the right shoulder turns backward 
and slightly drops, while the arm is stretched 
straight back but not downward. Neither is it 
stretched to its full extent, a sort of camber being 
left at the elbow, a position which insures the 
necessary contraction of the muscles of the fore¬ 
arm and biceps for a powerful forward sweep at 
the moment of delivery. Instead of lessening the 
speed of Saaristo, the preparatory movements of 
the shoulder and arm give him increased mo¬ 
mentum in the last few strides, and during these 
strides he squeezes his fingers on the binding of 
the javelin. There is no break in the run, and 
when he makes his effort his left foot hits the 
turf with a slap, while simultaneously the arm 
is pulled straight forward in a semicircle and the 
javelin is driven through the air as if shot from 
a ballista. 

As to the fact of reversing the legs, it is of little 
or no account to Saaristo, for the javelin is well 
on its flight when he brings his body around, and 
this is done only to preserve the balance and keep 
him from fouling the boundary line. During the 
Olympic Games at Stockholm, in 1912, the writer 
photographed Saaristo, the camera showing some 
very peculiar features of his method. The one 
printed in this book was taken at 8 o’clock in 
the evening—in the long twilight of the northern 


84 


Spalding’s athletic library. 


latitudes—when he was at full tilt in one of his 
best practice throws. It shows the arm raised 
to its full height as the javelin leaves it while the 
body and legs are as rigid as possible. After the 
javelin is sent on its journey by the Finn it im¬ 
mediately strikes an angle of something like 50 
degrees and, a second afterwards, assumes a hori¬ 
zontal position, flying as direct and true as if 
propelled from the steel barrel of a rifle. The 
manner in which Saaristo’s throw falls to the 
ground is also peculiar, for when its force is 
spent in the air it falls down and spears per¬ 
pendicularly, falling forward instead of in the 
usual backward manner. 

Lemming, who is much larger, heavier, and 
more rangy than Saaristo, has a style hard to be 
copied. He starts off with as smooth a run as 
does the Finn and goes to the scratch line with 
the same increasing swiftness, but a curious com¬ 
plication arises as he begins to gather himself 
for the throw. When almost at the top speed, 
and within three strides of the scratch, he takes 
a sort of hop-skip sidestep and brings the left leg 
in behind the body, the right shoulder being 
thrown half around. He holds the javelin a little 
lower down behind than Saaristo, but he gets 
the same smooth, uninterrupted delivery, and the 
javelin travels without a wriggle in the air. The 
javelin is on its way before he starts to reverse 
his legs. 


spalding’s athletic library. 85 

The moving pictures of the javelin event at the 
Stockholm Olympiad showed the variations in 
style between the Finn and the Swede, and gave 
rise to a number of queries as to which style was 
the most to be recommended and why Lemming 
made the sort of sidestep when about to set hirm 
self for the throw. The writer advised the method 
shown by Saaristo, as it was well nigh perfection. 
One day, in the athletic grounds at the back of 
the Stadium in Stockholm, the writer asked Lem¬ 
ming why he executed the intricate and apparent¬ 
ly useless motion of the sidestep just as he was 
about to throw. He answered that it felt as if it 
gave him more speed at the moment of delivery 
and that by sidestepping he had no trouble in 
throwing his shoulder around for the final drive. 

An athlete with ambitions to become a javelin 
thrower should first of all learn to hold it in the 
correct position. Freak theories and new-fangled 
ideas are out of order in grasping the binding of 
the javelin. There is only one way and that is the 
way in vogue among the best throwers in the 
world. The javelin should rest slantways across 
the palm of the hand, the upper edge of the bind¬ 
ing being grasped between the second joint of 
the forefinger and the extreme joint of the thumb; 
the other fingers should lap across the binding to 
about the second joint. Any man who has ever 
thrown a base ball or cricket ball or, in fact, any¬ 
thing light, knows that the main part of the 


86 


Spalding’s athletic library. 


momentum of the throw is contributed by the in¬ 
dex finger and thumb. So it is in the javelin. 
The amount of tension placed upon the fingers 
is another important point. During the early part 
of the run the javelin should be held softly, but 
the position in the palm of the hand should be 
correct. In the last few strides, however, before 
the execution of the throw, the fingers should 
tighten on the binding, so that the shaft may be 
driven away with all the power of the fingers. 
To hold the fingers tight from the start of the run 
is a bad plan, for it cramps them and at all times 
leads to some mistake or other. Either the jav¬ 
elin travels outward or the thrower’s run is such 
that he tries to gather himself too much and stops 
at the delivery. 

In America very little attention is paid to the 
position of the binding on the handle, yet it is one 
of the vital things which the athlete should re¬ 
member, and should have the binding shifted to 
suit himself. Some men have longer arms than 
others, and what might suit the short-armed man 
might be all wrong for the long-armed thrower. 
The best plan is for a man to move the binding 
up and down the shaft until he finds the balance 
that suits him best. For this reason he should 
possess his own javelin and take it to whatever 
competitions he enters. The athlete should at all 
times keep it in mind to hold the javelin with the 
hand level with his ear and above the shoulder. 


SPALDINGS ATHLETIC LIBRARY. 87 

The binding should begin about an inch above the 
point where the javelin balances. 

The length of the run is an item which should 
be studied, and it is only after a man has been 
practicing for some time that he will learn whether 
a long run or a short run is to his liking. For 
all-around purposes then, all beginners should 
try 25 yards. If a man thinks he needs more, 
he should try, but on the whole it will be found 
that a thrower will be able to gather force enough 
for the hardest sort of an effort after a run of 
from 20 to 25 yards. Both Saaristo and Lemming 
take runs of about the latter distance. 

When the athlete begins to train he should 
never attempt to throw with a run, for he may 
acquire some bad style from which he could not 
easily rid himself afterward, and anyway the 
run will do him no good. He should commence 
by standing at the scratch line and throwing 
from stand. Distance should not be the object, 
but the acquisition of the correct syle. The tyro 
should do his best at every try and endeavor 
to send the javelin away as straight as possible, 
with the arm action much the same as if he were 
throwing with a run. Now and again he could 
take one step backward and change legs to ac¬ 
custom himself to the reverse. 

At the outset the athlete should not throw too 
much, as he is likely to develop what the base ball 
player terms a “glass arm,” the part most liable 


88 


spalding’s athletic library. 


to be affected being the ligament of the elbow, 
and once this is lacerated the novice should im¬ 
mediately give it a rest. A preventative of any 
rupture of the cartilage is to wear an elastic af¬ 
fair like a stocking. It will hold the muscles 
tight and keep the cartilage in its place, no mat¬ 
ter what twist or strain it undergoes. 

At first a dozen throws will be found to be 
enough, but as the work progresses the number 
of throws can be increased. By the time the 
thrower finds he has mastered the art of throw¬ 
ing well enough to take the run, fifty throws per 
day will not be found to be overdoing the exercise. 
In fact, an athlete could throw almost the entire 
day and not feel as tired as if he put in a half 
an hour at throwing the hammer or 56-pound 
weight. 

Although seemingly unnecessary to care for the 
javelin, it is well worth while that it receive some 
consideration. When not in use it should be 
hung up against the wall with a loop of cord, 
spear upward, and now and again it should be 
oiled to keep it from warping. In competition 
the athlete should never hold the javelin too long 
in the middle, for no matter how good the wood 
is it will “belly” a little, and when that happens 
it will not fly true, but is sure to wobble in the 
air to one side or the other. Often an athletic 
implement is blamed for the unrealized ambitions 
of a contestant when, as a matter of fact, the 


SPALDING'S ATHLETIC LIBRARY. 89 

lack of the little attentions that make the smooth¬ 
ness of the perfect machine may have spelled the 
difference between defeat and victory. 

There are a few things which the athlete should 
always keep before his mind in a javelin contest: 
He should always run easy at first and straight 
to the take-off and put in his greatest force in the 
last three strides, without a pause or break. Above 
all he should concentrate his mind on his task. 
Concentration is just as important in efforts that 
apparently require only mere strength as in the 
more subtle games of skill that do not call for 
physical endurance. 

OFFICIAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR JAVELIN. 

THROWING THE JAVELIN. 

Construction .—The javelin shall be of wood with a 
sharp iron or steel point. The javelin shall be constructed 
in such way that the space between the foremost point 
and the center of gravity is not longer than 1.203 yards 
(110 centimeters), or shorter than 2.953 feet (90 centi¬ 
meters). 

Crip .—It shall have, about the center of gravity, a 
grip formed by a binding 6.3 inches (16 centimeters) 
broad, of whipcord, without thongs or notches in the 
shaft, and shall have no other holding than the above 
mentioned binding, whose circumference at either edge 
shall not exceed the circumference of the shaft by more 
than 0.9S4 inch (25 millimeters). 

Measurements .—The length shall be not less than 8 
feet 6% inches (260 centimeters) complete as thrown. 

Weight .—The weight shall be not less than 1.76 pounds 
(800 grammes) complete as thrown. 


90 spalding’s athletic library. 

OFFICIAL A. A. U. RULE FOR JAVELIN THROWING. 
javelin throwing. 

1. The throwing shall take place from behind a scratch 
line properly marked, which shall be a board 2 % inches 
(7 centimeters) in width and 12 feet (3.66 meters) in 
length, sunk flush with the ground. 

2. The javelin must be held by the grip, and no other 
method of holding is admissible. 

3. No throw shall be counted in which the point of the 
javelin does not strike the ground before any part of 
the shaft. 

4. The throw is measured from the point at which the 
point of the javelin first strikes the ground to the scratch 
line or the scratch line produced. 

5. Each competitor shall have three trial throws, and 
the best five shall have three more. Each competitor 
shall be credited with the best of all his throws. 

6. The thrower must not place his foot or feet upon the 
board. 

7. In javelin throwing the competitor must not cross 
the line until his throw has been marked. 

8. In throwing the javelin, if the javelin breaks while 
in the air, it shall not count as a trial. 


XSe THE SPALDING 



TRADEMARK 


GUARANTEES 

GUALITY 


No. 16BH. Spalding 
.‘‘Official Olympic” 
Brass Shell Head 
16 lb. Hammer (Pat’d 
Aug. 20, 1912), includ¬ 
ing patented ball¬ 
bearing swivel. Sup¬ 
plied regularly with 
double triangle wire 
grip (Pat’d Dec. 22, 
1914). Each, $10.00 

No. 12BH. 12-lb.Brass 
Shell Head Hammer, 
otherwise same as No. 
16BH. Each, $9.00 


Spalding Athletic Hammers 



No. 16IHB. 16- lb. 

Solid Iron Head Ham¬ 
mer, including pat¬ 
ented ball-bearing 
swivel, double triangle 
wire grip. Each, $4.50 

No. 12IHB. 12-lb. 
Solid Iron Head Ham¬ 
mer, otherwise same 
as No. 16IHB. 

Each, $4.00 
No. 8IH. 8-lb. Solid 
Iron Head Hammer, 
without ball - bearing 
swivel. Double tri¬ 
angle grip. Ea., $3.00 


Extra Handles for Athletic Hammers 



No. MG 


No. MG. Single Grip Style. Used by many prominent hammer 
throwers. Supplied separately with wire handles. Each, $2.00 
No. FH. Double Triangle Grip, complete with wire handle, furn¬ 
ished separately.Each, 75c. 

Any regular Spalding Hammer listed above furnished with No. MG grip 
instead of double triangle style, on special order, at an extra charge of $1.25 


Leather Case for Athletic Hammers 

No. L. Leather Case, to hold either 12 or 16-lb. hammer. . . . Each, $3.00 


Spalding “Official Olympic” Circles 



No. 9. 7 Foot Diameter Circle. The shot and 

weights are thrown from this size circle. Three 
sections, band iron, painted white. . Each,$ 10.00 

No. 19. 8 Foot 2 inch Diameter Circle. For throw¬ 

ing Discus. Three sections, band iron, painted 

white. Each, $10.00 


PROMPT ATTENTION 6IVEN T0| 
ANT COMMUNICATIONS 
ADDRESSED TO US 


A. G. SPALDING & BROS. 

STORES IN ALL LARGE CITIES 


TON COMPUTE LIST Of STORES) 
SEE INSIDE fRONT COVER 
Of THIS I00R 


without »»<<«■ Fat Canadian firica JK ipaid Cti nafa &tfibtM. 










substitute THE SPALDING 



TRADEMARK 


GUARANTEES! 

GUALITV 



Spalding Athletic Shot 

No. 16BS. Spalding “Official Olympic” Brass Shell Shot. 16-lb 
(Patented August 20, 1912). . Each, $9.0( 


No. 12BS. 
No. 16IS. 


12-lb. 

16-lb. 


Brass Shell. 
Solid Iron. . 


No. 12IS. 

12-lb. 

Solid Iron. 


No. 24LS. 

24-lb. 

Solid Lead. 


No. 24IS. 

24-lb. 

Solid Iron. 


No. 

8IS. 

8-lb. 

Solid Iron. 


No. 

5IS. 

5-lb. 

Solid Iron. 


No. 

26. 

8-lb. 

Leather covered. 


No. 

5. 

5-lb. 

Leather covered. 



Regulation 56-lb, Weight 

No. 2. Used and endorsed by all weight throwers. Lead. 
Packed in box, guaranteed correct in weight. 

Complete, $15.00 

Tambourine 

No. 1. Required when throwing 56-lb. weight for height. 

Each, $10.00 


Spalding Indoor Athletic Shot—Rubber Covered 

Patented December, 1905 




Scientifically made ; perfectly round; gives fine grip; has propel 
resiliency when it comes in contact with floor; wears longer than 
ordinary leather covered; lead dust will not sift out; always fuli 

weight. 

No. P. 16-lb. Rubber covered.Each, $12.0C 

No. Q. 12-lb. Rubber covered. " 10.0C 


Spalding Indoor Shot—Leather Covered 

Method of construction prevents loss of weight even when used 

constantly. 

Leather covered.Each, $8.00 

Leather covered. “ 9.00 

exp en se*wi 1 l*b^» sn ared F» r st, because we have decided that no trouble o. 
them tS Sve best ?eTul s Seco L nd ’ because we really know how to make 

machinery tools etc ^b;rd, because we have the special skilled workman and the 

*- "* cessary in the manufacture of special implements of this description 


No. 3. 
No. 4. 


12-lb. 

16-lb. 



[prompt ahention GIVEN TO I 

/NY COMMUNICATIONS 
. ADDRESSED TO IIS 


A. G. SPALDING &. BROS. 

STORES IN ALL LARGF CITIES 


FOR COMPUTE LIST Of STORES] 

SEE INSIDE FRONT COVER 
OF THIS BOO! Jl 


“Prica in tfuljuljf 5, (pit, Subject befuingt without notoc For Canadian firm j« ,pcual Canadian Cetehgue. 





























sSKSteTHE SPALDING 



TRADE-MARK TJurf 


The Spalding “Official Olympic” Discus No. 5 

Made in accordance with I. A. A. F., 
A. A. U., and Intercollegiate A. A. 

A. A. Specifications. 

This is a duplicate of the original 
sample submitted to the I. A. A. F. 
Congress at Lyons, France, June 1 Oth, 
1914, and which was so favorably 
commented upon and unanimously 
adopted for use in all future Olympic 
games. 

No. 5. Spalding “Official Olympic” 
Discuss, wood center. Each, $7.50 

Spalding Practice All-Steel Discus 

Patented March 30th, 1915 

Same size and shape as the “Official Olympic” style, but made all of steel, which 
forbids its use as an official implement. It is recommended for practice and on 
account of all-steel construction will give maximum amount of service. 

No. 15. Spalding “Practice” Discus, all steel.Each, $5.00 

Spalding “Youths* Official” Discus 

Wood center. Official for Junior Discus Competitions. 

No. Y. Spalding “Youths’ Official” Discus, wood center, .... Each, $5.00 



Spalding “Official Olympic” Javelin 


Made in exact accordance with I. A. A. F., A. A. U., and Intercollegiate A. A. A. A. 

specifications. 

No. 153. Spalding “Official Olympic” Javelin.Each, $3.00 


SPECIAL NOTE—Specifications in the Official Rules covering Javelin throwing are such 
that in complying with them the Javelin is necessarily quite frail; hence, if it is not thrown 
i with the proper degree of skill it is easily broken and this through no fault of material or 
j workmanship. We are unable, therefore, to guarantee Javelins against breakage while in use. 

We guarantee only against defective material or workmanship, and in 95leases out of a 100 
I where a Javelin shaft is broken we have found it was the result of faulty manipulation or 
I awkwardness on the part of the performer. 


I fltOMPT ATTENTION GIVEN TO 

I ANT COMMUNICATIONS ^ 
| IOBRESSEB TO OS 


A. G. SPALDING &, BROS. 

STORES IN ALL LARGE CITIES 


FOR COMPUTE LIST Of STORES 
- SEE INSIDE FRONT COVER 
1 Of THIS iOOl ' 


/-or Canadian pricet kc yfagl Canodiam C g fa l rtf H fc 



















I 


ACCEPT NO 
SUBSTITUTE 


THE SPALDING 



TRADE-MARK g B l n , t t E y es 


Spalding "Olympic Championship" Running and Jumping Shoes 

All of these are fine turned shoes. Finest kangaroo uppers and fine leather soles. The same style 
shoes that we supplied to the. American athletes who were so successful at the last Olympic 
Games, and are worn in competition by all prominent athletes in this country. 



Spalding 

“Monitor” Sprint Running Shoes 

Patented May 2, 1916 


No. 3-0 


No. 3-0. Lightest running shoe made. Hand 
made spikes. Especially for 100 or 220 yards 
races. Strictly bench made throughout. 

Pair, $6.00 



Spalding “ Olympic Championship ” 
Short Distance Running Shoes 


No. 2-0. Extremely light and glove fitting 
Hand made steel spikes. Worn by all cham¬ 
pions for short distances, especially 440 and 
880 yards and one mile races. . Pair, $6.00 


Spalding “ Olympic Championship ” 
Long Distance Running Shoes 


Spalding “ Olympic Championship ” 
Jumping Shoes 



No. UH 


No. 14C. For long distance races on athletic 
tracks. Rubber heels, flexible shanks. Hand 
made steel spikes in soles. No spikes in 
heels .Pair, $5.00 


No. 14H. Specially stiffened soles. Hand made 
steel spikes placed as suggested by champior 
jumpers. Also correct shoes for shot putting, 
weight and hammer throwing. . Pair, $6.00 


Rubber Heels To Be Put Inside Jumping Shoes 

No. E. Inside rubber heels for jumping, hurdling and pole vaulting shoes. . 


mOMPT ATTENTION GIVEN TO I 
ANY COMMUNICATIONS 
A80AESSE0 TO US 


A. G. SPALDING &, BROS. 

STORES IN ALL LARGE CITIES 


| F0« COMPUTE LIST Of STMESl 
SEE INS10E FRONT COVEft 
OHMS 1001 


*Ato (n tffct Jdy 5, 














sEtute THE SPALDING (§§lt) TRADE-MARK nK E v ES 


QUALITY 


Spalding Olympic Championship” Running and Jumping Shoes 

A11 finC tur . I ? e 4 sho , es - Finest kangaroo uppers and fine leather soles. The same style 

shoes that we supplied to the American athletes who were so successful at the last Olympic 
tjames, and are worn in competition by all prominent athletes in this country. 

Spalding “ Olympic Championship ” Spalding “ Olympic Championship ” 


Walking Shoes 


Pole Vaulting Shoes 




No. 14W. For competition and match races. 
These shoes are the same as are used by 
all champion walkers.Pair, $5.00 


No. 14V. High cut, special last. Hand made 
steel spikes in soles; one spike in heels. To 
order only. Not carried in stock. Pair, $6.00 


f T - AIM. aiuciv. 1 cui.^u.uu 

On special orders we will supply Pole Vaulting Shoes with one high and one low cut shoe ai 

no extra charge. 


Spalding C0525ISJSI” Long Distance Running Shoes 





No. MH. High cut but light in weight. Well finished inside so as not to hurt the feet in a long 
race. Special leather soles, will not wear smooth ; light leather heels, soft leather uppers. Hand 

sewed.Pair, $5.00 

No. MO. Low cut. Blucher style. Otherwise same as No. MH. “ 5.00 


NOMrr ATTENTION GIVEN TO 
ANT COMMUNICATIONS 
AOOBfSSEO TO OS 


A. G. SPALDING & BROS. 

STORES IN ALL LARGE CITIES 


FOR COMPUTE LIST Of STORES! 

SEE INSIDE FRONT COVQ 
■ OfTNlS 1001 : 















substitute THE SPALDING ( 



TRADEMARK 


GUARANTEES 

QUALITY 


Spalding Running and Jumping Shoes 




Spalding Indoor Running Shoes 

No. 111. Soft leather, corrugated rubber soles, 
with spikes.Pair, $5.00 



Spalding Outdoor Jumping Shoes 

No. 14J. Strong leather ; machine made. Dur¬ 
able. Steel spikes. Pair, $5.00 ★ $54.00 JJoz. 



Spalding Outdoor Running Shoes 

No. 1 IT. Soft leather uppers, machine made ; solid leather tap sole holds spikes firmly in place. 

Pair, $5.00 ★ $5^.00 Doz. 

No. 11. Strong leather, machine made. . .. “ 3.50 ★ 36.00 Doz. 


Juvenile Outdoor Running Shoes 

No. 12. Leather, good quality, complete with spikes. Sizes 12 to 5 only. 


Pair, $3.00 



Cork Athletic Grips 

No. 2. Best quality cork, with elastic bands.Pair, 20c. 

No. 1. Selected cork, shaped. “ 15c. 

Keep the uppers cf all running shoes soft and pliable by using Spalding 
“Dri-Foot.” It will greatly add to the wear of shoes. . . . Can, 10c. 


The prices printed in italics opposite items marked with ★ will be quoted only on orders for 
one half dozen or more at one time. Quantity prices NOT allowed on items NOT marked withic 



































STANDARD QUALITY 

MrarttJjbv d^Cot 'L"" 1 *', If® X C L n ' a,n “ 8 A pec,fic P ro PO«>on of pure gold, and the fact of its being Genuine is 
guaranteed by the Government Stamp thereon. As a protection to the users of this currency against counterfeiting and 
other tricks, considerable money is expended in maintaining a Secret Service Bureau of Experts. Under the law citizen 

^ *° j g 7f. f ' X, ' nt «Pon Trade-Mark, and similar device, to protect themselves again« coun" 

erfeit products without the aid of Government Detectives or "Public Opinion" to assist them. 

■»t^ri^and , fesporwiWi^of l tiw***^4aiiufacturei^* n ** m,Wepre8C " ,a ' i °" and quality" rests entirely upon the 

A. G. Spalding fit Bros have, by their rigorous attention to "Quality" for forty years, caused their Trade-Mark to 
become known through™ the world a, a Guarantee of Quality as dependable in their field a, the U. S. Currency is in its field 
A.Jir n r^?' ,y - ° f y p b° ld >rrg the guarantee of the Spalding Trade-Mark and maintaining the Standard Quality of their 
Athletic Goods, is. therefore, a, obvious a, is the necessity of the Government ,n mamta.ning a Standard Currency. 

'* "if* T V"!!'? himself but also protecting other consumers when he assists a Reliable 
Manufacturer m upholding hi, Trade-Mark and all that it stands for. Therefore, we urge all user, of our Athletic 

Lt^d^n a‘ll a^hlet , | C T ,n d ainin h ! dl ' Spa ' dln t? Standard of Excellence, by insisting that our Trade-Mark be plainly 
Sr. j Vn l„. J gods W *V CP , th *y buy. because without this precaution our best efforts towards'maintaining 
Standard Quality and preventing fraudulent substitution will be ineffectual. 

and N emoha C . t izId r bv < mik^ d . ard f -'T'" invar j a b | y suffer the reputation of being high-priced, and this sentiment is fostered 
and emphasized by makers of inferior goods, with whom low prices are the main consideration. 

..rilv hav'^hilhl?o° f rec ,u gni2ed S,andard Goo . d »: wi,h a reputation to uphold and a guarantee to protect, must neces. 
•anly have higher prices than a manufacturer of cheap goods, whose idea of and basis of a claim for Standard Quality 
depends principally upon the eloquence of the salesman. X 




; 


STANDARD POLICY 

A Standard Quality must be inseparably linked to a Standard Policy. 

Without a definite and Standard Mercantile Policy, it is impossible for a Manufacturer to long maintain a Standard Quality, 
To market his goods through the jobber, a manufacturer must provide a profit for the jobber as well as for the retail 
dealer. To meet these conditions of Dual Profits, the manufacturer is obliged to set a proportionately high list price on 
us goods to the consumer. 

To enable the glib salesman, when booking his orders, to figure out attractive profits to both the jobber and retailer, 
heschigh list prices are absolutely essential; but their real purpose will have been served when the manufacturer has 
lecured his order from the jobber, and the jobber has secured his order from the retailer 

However, these deceptive high list prices are not fair to the consumer, who does not. and, in reality, is not ever 
expected to pay these fancy list prices. 

When the season opens for the sale of such goods, with their misleading but alluring high list prices, the retailer 
begins to realize his responsibilities, and grapples with the situation as best he can, by offering "special discounts," which 
'sty with local trade conditions. 

Under this system of merchandising, the profits to both the manufacturer and the jobber are assured'; but as there is 
tjo stability maintained in the prices to the consumer, the keen competition amongst the local dealers invariably leads to a 
demoralized cutting of prices by which the profits of the retailer are practically eliminated. 

This demoralization always reacts on the manufacturer. The jobber insists on lower, and still lower, prices. The 
manufacturer, in his turn, meets this demand for the lowering of prices by the only way open to him. viz.: the cheapening 
:nd degrading of the quality of his product. 

TJ* e foregoing conditions became so intolerable that, 'll 7 years ago. in 1899, A. G. Spalding & Bros, determined to rectify 
his demoralization in the Athletic Goods Trade, and inaugurated what has since become known as “The Spalding Policy." 

The “Spalding Policy" eliminates the iobber entirely, so far as Spalding Goods are concerned, and the retail dealer 
^ures the supply of Spalding Athletic Goods direct from the manufacturer by which the retail dealer is assured a fair, 
legitimate and certain profit on all Spalding Athletic Goods, and the consumer is assured a Standard Quality and is 
protected from imposition. 

< The "Spalding Policy" is decidedly for the interest and protection of the users of Athletic Goods, and acts in two ways: 
JUwi.—The user is assured of genuine Official Standard Athletic Cooda. 

SECOND. —As manufacturers, we can proceed with confidence in purchasing at the proper time, the very best raw 
materials required in the manufacture of our various goods, well ahead of their respective seasons, and this enables us to are, 
vide the necessary quantity and absolutely maintain the Spalding Standard of Quality. 

* .All retail dealers handling Spalding Athletic Goods are requested to supply consumers at our regular printed catalogue 
ne ' , ber more nor less—the same prices that similar goods are sold for in our New York, Chicago and other stores. 
All Spalding dealers, as well as users of Spalding Athletic Goods, are treated exactly alike, and no special rebates or 
discriminations are allowed to anyone. 

, ThiA briefly, is the “Spalding Policy," which has already been in successful operation for the past 17 years, and will 
be indefinitely continued. 

» In other words, “The Spalding Policy” is a "square deal” for everybody. 

A. ^ SPALDING & BROS, 





rpiwo 


GRAND P R I X 


GRAND PRIZE 


A.G. Spalding ^ Bros 



MAINTAIN WHOLESALE and RETAIL STORES m the FOLLOWING C*TiE 

NEW YORK CHICAGO ST.LOLLS 

BOSTON MILWAUKEE KANSAS CITY 

PHILADELPHIA DETROIT SAN FRANCISCO 

NEWARK CINCINNATI LOS ANGELES 

ALBANY CLEVELAND SEATTLE 

BUFFALO COLUMBUS SALT LAKE CITY 

SYRACUSE ROCHESTER INDIANAPOLIS PORTLAND 
BALTIMORE WASHINGTON PITTSBURGH MINNEAPOLIS 

LONDON, ENGLAND ATLANTA ST PAUL 

LI VE RPOOL. ENGLAND ■*' LOUISVILLE DENVER 

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND NEW 7 ORLEANS DALLAS! 
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND MONTREAL. CANADA 

BRISTOL. ENGLAND > r ORONTO, CANADA 

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND PARIS, FRANCE 

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA 

factor it x ovne d a 'id o sera tec by ACS pc ’dirty 6, Bros end where ell of Spo!d< r -^ 
Trcde-Mcrked Athletic Coc<ti are Tioif art located in the follow,no ci ties 




























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